A workshop on menopause research focused on three topics: (1) problems and issues in the definition of menopausal status: (2) problems and issues in cross-cultural research: (3) the contributions which research in the behavioural sciences can make to clinical research and practice. Among the conclusions reached by the workshop was the recommendation that researchers should adopt a standard definition of menopause based on the cessation on menses. Yet, while standard definitions are essential to scientific comparison, it is also important to determine how women decide on their own status, particularly when working cross-culturally.