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The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand Vol. 30 No. 4 Oct.-Dec. 2005 964 Researching Traditional Medicine: A Review and Evaluation of Objectives and Methodologies of health conditions according to its degree of life threatening. 37 The salience, or psychological pro- minence, of the listed items can be quantitatively determined by analyzing the order of the listed items, since informants tend to list the most significant items first. 22 One disadvantage is that the list may not be complete, as it relies on memory recall of the informants. The ethnopharmacology of intestinal worms in the West Indies was primarily documented with free-listing techniques. 39 The re- searchers considered free-listing to be a useful method for applying analytical techniques and deter- mining important medicinal plants according to salience. The free-listing method was complimented with informal key informant interviews and a health survey of the village. The results produced an ethnography of the ethnophysiology of worms, detailed descriptions of each herbal treatment, and quantitative data on plant use and value. 6. Patient logs/health calen- dars Patient logs and health calendars are useful for collecting data on current health treatment activities among both traditional healers and families. This method is advantageous because it offers a description of health problems from the perspective of the family. A study aimed to describe the orthodox and traditional healing systems among the five largest ethnic groups in inner-city Miami, Florida. 40 For four consecutive weeks, thirty to forty families of each ethnic group were asked to keep a health calendar describing their symptoms of illness and the action taken in response. Partici- patory observation and in-depth interviews were conducted, based on records from the health calendar, to collect data on the etiology of health problems and the family’s reasons for engaging in certain health behaviors. The results of the study describe patterns of health care among each group to use multiple treatment resources and recommends how orthodox medical practitioners can meet the needs of ethnic groups. Literature resources pertaining to the ethnic groups’ country of origin were used for further insight into health beliefs and practices. Another study recorded the herbal remedies and methods for treating women’s health conditions based on specific patient sessions with six Dominican healers in New York City. 18 Female patients exhibiting symptoms for menor- rhagia, endometriosis, hot flashes, or uterine fibroids were examined by healers who used their own dia- gnostic techniques and prescribed treatments. Afterwards, a follow-up interview was conducted with the patients and traditional healer to document details of the treatment and health condition. The results included, healer profiles, a list of medicinal plants, and various details relating to their use as a medicine and methods of collected from the wild by healers and Botanicas (local herbal shops). 7. Decision tables Decision tables are a type of causal flow chart that can be used to predict the kinds of choices people will make under specified circum- stances. Young 41 used decision tables to determine how Tarascan people in Mexico decide and choose to treat illnesses. First, possible ways of health treatment were identified as employing a home remedy, native healer, non-physician practitioner of modern medicine or modern physician. Previous ethnographic studies had determined that the decision to use a treatment depended on four factors: (1) degree of serious- ness of illness as perceived by the patient; (2) knowledge of an existent home remedy; (3) informant’s faith in the efficacy of treatment for an illness; and (4) accessibility to treatment. Then, combinations between the choices and conditions were identified by creating two sets of questions. One set asked infor- mants to describe why they would choose one choice over another and the second set used ‘what if...’ questions to describe a potential situation, including three of the four factors, and the respondent was asked to choose a treatment. The results were used to create a decision table of the choices and conditions that affect the choices and the possible rules that informants use to make their choices. A negative aspect of this technique is that the