A Look back at May: the latest this month from our Future Cochrane projects

There has been a lot of activity in May as our various Future of Evidence Synthesis projects move forward. We have been working closely with our Authors and continuing Cochrane Review Groups in particular, to support them and pave the way for the changes ahead. Here are some of the important things that have happened in May.

We switched over fully to RevMan Web

After a lot of work behind the scenes, and with the input of our Authors, the transition RevMan Web is now complete, meaning RevMan 5, the desktop version, is no longer available. Authors will benefit from a number of improvements, including better data management when creating new reviews. Read more>

A deadline change for transferring all Cochrane Reviews to the  Central Editorial Service

Also in May, we extended the deadlines for phase 2 of the expansion of the Central Editorial Service, to give everyone more time to ensure that all content is transferred by the end of March 2024. The full centralisation of the editorial process for all Cochrane manuscripts is a big change, so we are working with Review Groups to help them during the transition. A website with key practical information has also been created.

We heard from a new Cochrane Thematic Group: Heart, Stroke and Circulation

In the third of our series on our new Thematic Groups, we explained more about the aims and reasoning behind Heart, Stroke and Circulation and heard from Professor Alex Todhunter-Brown (Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions Research Unit) and Professor Gillian E Mead (Personal Chair of Stroke and Elderly Care Medicine at University of Edinburgh). Read more>

 Changes in Cochrane’s reporting guidance were announced

We announced that Cochrane will move to using standard publishing guidelines, such as the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) for systematic reviews of interventions. PRISMA is widely known and used in so this is not a radical change, however it is an important step to ensuring that Cochrane’s reporting standards align with the ever-evolving evidence synthesis landscape. Read more>

Keep an eye on the Future Cochrane website to keep up with the latest on what’s happening.