Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions 4.2.6 Updated September 2006 © The Cochrane Collaboration, 2006. Table Of Contents About the handbook................................................................................................................ 1 Editors........................................................................................................................................................................1 How to cite this version of the Handbook..................................................................................................................1 Contact addresses.......................................................................................................................................................1 Updates and corrections.............................................................................................................................................2 Sources of support .....................................................................................................................................................2 Present sources of support.....................................................................................................................................2 Previous sources of support ..................................................................................................................................2 Acknowledgements....................................................................................................................................................3 What's new............................................................................................................................... 5 Corrections and changes in Version 4.2.6 (September 2006) of the Handbook.........................................................5 Corrections and changes in Version 4.2.5 (May 2005) of the Handbook...................................................................5 Corrections and changes in Version 4.2.4 (March 2005) of the Handbook ...............................................................6 Corrections and changes in Version 4.2.3 (November 2004) of the Handbook .........................................................6 Corrections and changes in Version 4.2.2 (March 2004) of the Handbook ...............................................................6 Corrections and changes in version 4.2.1 (December 2003) of the Handbook ..........................................................6 Corrections and changes in version 4.2.0 (March 2003) of the Handbook ................................................................7 Corrections and changes in version 4.1.6 (January 2003) of the Handbook ..............................................................7 Corrections and changes in version 4.1.5 (April 2002) of the Handbook ..................................................................8 Corrections and changes in version 4.1.4 (October 2001) of the Handbook..............................................................8 Corrections and changes in version 4.1.3 (June 2001) of the Handbook ...................................................................8 Corrections and changes in version 4.1.2 (March 2001) of the Handbook ................................................................9 Corrections and changes in version 4.1.1 (December 2000) of the Handbook ..........................................................9 Corrections and changes in version 4.1.0 (June 2000) of the Handbook ...................................................................9 Corrections and changes in Version 4.0.0 (July 1999) of the Handbook .................................................................10 Corrections and changes in Version 3.0.2 (September 1997) of the Handbook.......................................................10 Corrections and changes in Version 3.0.1 (December 1996) of the Handbook........................................................10 Corrections and changes in Version 3.0.0 (October 1996) of the Handbook ...........................................................11 Corrections and changes to the Glossary .................................................................................................................13 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 15 1.1 Systematic reviews and the Cochrane Handbook ..............................................................................................15 1.2 Contributions .....................................................................................................................................................16 1.3 References..........................................................................................................................................................16 2 Format of a Cochrane review............................................................................................ 19 2.1 Rationale for protocols.......................................................................................................................................19 2.2 Format of a Cochrane review.............................................................................................................................19 2.2.1 Detailed outline of a protocol for a Cochrane review.................................................................................20 2.2.2 Detailed outline of a Cochrane review.......................................................................................................21 2.3 Logistics of doing a review................................................................................................................................23 2.3.1 Motivation for undertaking a review..........................................................................................................23 2.3.2 Registering a protocol ................................................................................................................................24 2.3.3 The review team.........................................................................................................................................24 2.3.4 Software and the Information Management System ..................................................................................27 2.3.5 Training......................................................................................................................................................27 2.3.6 Editorial procedures of a Review Group....................................................................................................28 2.3.7 Resources for a systematic review .............................................................................................................28 2.3.8 Seeking funding .........................................................................................................................................29 2.4 Publication of Cochrane reviews in print journals and books ............................................................................30 2.5 Publication of previously published reviews as Cochrane reviews....................................................................31 2.6 Conflict of interest and commercial sponsorship ...............................................................................................32 2.7 The Cochrane Collaboration Open Learning Material.......................................................................................34 2.8 Contributions .....................................................................................................................................................34 2.9 References..........................................................................................................................................................34 3 Guide to the contents of a protocol and review................................................................ 37 3.1 Cover sheet ........................................................................................................................................................37 3.2 Plain language summary ....................................................................................................................................41 3.2.1 Process of finalising a plain language summary ........................................................................................41 3.3 Abstract..............................................................................................................................................................42 3.4 Text of a review .................................................................................................................................................44 iii Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions 4.2.6 Background [fixed, level 1 heading]...................................................................................................................45 Objectives [fixed, level 1 heading] .....................................................................................................................46 Methods sections.................................................................................................................................................46 Criteria for considering studies for this review [fixed, level 1 heading] .............................................................46