Methodological Approaches for the Empirical Analysis of African Medicinal Practices in Burundi: A Framework for thePeriod

The empirical analysis of African medicinal practices, particularly within obstetrics and gynaecology, presents methodological challenges. In Burundi, where traditional medicine is widely used, robust frameworks are required to study these practices systematically and assess their integration with biomedical care. This article presents a structured methodological framework for the empirical analysis of African medicinal practices in Burundi, focusing on women's health. Its objective is to offer researchers clear, culturally sensitive approaches for data collection, validation, and analysis. The proposed methodology is a multi-phase, mixed-methods framework. It integrates systematic documentation, cross-sectional surveys, in-depth ethnographic interviews, and comparative clinical observation. The framework emphasises participatory research, involving traditional health practitioners and community members in study design. Ethical protocols for engaging with traditional knowledge are integral. As a methodology article, this paper presents no empirical results. The findings detail the structure of the developed framework. A key component is the identification of a core set of over 50 plant-based remedies commonly used for gynaecological conditions, which forms a focus for standardised documentation. The framework provides a practical guide for conducting rigorous, ethical research into Burundian medicinal practices. It addresses gaps in methodological standardisation for this field. Researchers should adopt this multi-method framework to ensure systematic and comparable data. Future studies must prioritise ethical collaboration with knowledge holders and explore pathways for integrating validated findings into public health strategies. Methodology, traditional medicine, Burundi, obstetrics, gynaecology, ethnography, mixed-methods, research framework This article provides a structured methodological framework to standardise and guide empirical research on traditional medicinal practices in Burundian women's health.