Asking diff erent questions: research priorities to improve the quality of care for every woman, every child Unacceptably high rates of adverse outcomes persist for childbearing women and infants, including maternal and newborn mortality, stillbirth, and short-term and long-term morbidity. 1 In light of the challenges to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals, it is timely to reconsider priorities for research in maternal and newborn health. Are we asking the right questions? 2 Recent evidence indicates the importance of seeking knowledge beyond the treatment of complications, to inform better ways of providing sustainable, high quality care, including preventing problems before they occur. 3 The 2014 publication of The Lancet's Series on Midwifery presented a unique opportunity to generate future areas of inquiry by drawing on the most extensive examination to date of evidence on the care that all women and newborn infants need across the continuum from pre-pregnancy, birth, post partum, and the early weeks of life. [4][5][6] The Series summarised the evidence base for quality maternal and newborn care in a new framework that focuses on the needs of women, infants, and families and diff erentiates between what care is provided, how it is provided, and Research prioritiesResearch priority score