Reviewer’s report
Title: 
What are the prospects for the hormonal IUD in the public sector? A
mixed-method study of the user population in Zambia
Version: 
1 
Date: 
16 Feb 2022
Reviewer's report:
PEER REVIEWER ASSESSMENTS: 
OBJECTIVE - Full research articles: is there a clear objective that addresses a
testable research question(s) (brief or other article types: is there a clear
objective)?
No - there are major issues
DESIGN - Is the current approach (including controls and analysis protocols)
appropriate for the objective?
No - there are major issues
EXECUTION - Are the experiments and analyses performed with technical rigor
to allow confidence in the results?
No - there are major issues
STATISTICS - Is the use of statistics in the manuscript appropriate?
No - there are issues with the statistics in the study
INTERPRETATION - Is the current interpretation/discussion of the results
reasonable and not overstated?
No - there are major issues
OVERALL MANUSCRIPT POTENTIAL - Is the current version of this work
technically sound? If not, can revisions be made to make the work technically
sound?
Maybe - with major revisions
PEER REVIEWER COMMENTS: 
GENERAL COMMENTS: 
This study is presented as a baseline for a cohort study that is to start. The
objectives of the cohort study are not clear. As such the objectives of the
baseline are also not clear as a starting point for the cohort study. The topic of
the study, the knowledge gap that the study fills, specific objectives/research
questions, hypotheses of the study are not clear. On the methodology the
sampling method is not clear. Because the study problem and specific objectives
are not clear, it is hard to organize findings in a way that they respond to the
knowledge gap to be filled.
REQUESTED REVISIONS: 
Re-write the topic to capture the goal of the study in a way that it is not a
question; provide a problem of the study and the knowledge gap the study fulfils;
relate this baseline to the objectives of the cohort study; clearly state the specific
objectives of the study; results should be presented by objective in an integrated
manner with qualitative findings used to explain the quantitative results;
discussion and conclusions should also be by objective.
ADDITIONAL REQUESTS/SUGGESTIONS: 
None
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Is the study design appropriate to answer the research question (including the use
of appropriate controls), and are the conclusions supported by the evidence
presented?
No
Are the methods sufficiently described to allow the study to be repeated?
No
Is the use of statistics and treatment of uncertainties appropriate?
No
Is the presentation of the work clear?
Yes
Are the images in this manuscript (including electrophoretic gels and blots) free
from apparent manipulation?
Yes