Groups remain pivotal in shaping the future of Cochrane’s work. We rely on their expertise and experience, and we are working with our various groups to explore the best ways of collaborating as we continue preparing for the future.

The Support Team at Cochrane is ready to help you, so please don't hesitate to reach out to support@cochrane.org if you have any questions.

The latest from Cochrane’s Central Editorial Service

As you know, Cochrane is moving towards a process where editorial tasks are completed by the Central Editorial Service (CES) while Cochrane Review Groups continue the important work of developing reviews. The transition began in early 2023, and all new protocols and reviews ready for peer review are now directed to the CES team. Take a look at the latest from the CES team here.

Switching to Cochrane's new Focused Review Format: what you need to know

We have made significant changes and improvements to Cochrane’s review production model, which has led to the creation of our New Focused Review Format. This isn't just a tweak - it's a complete overhaul to make life easier for our authors and improve how our systematic reviews are conducted and presented. Take a look here to find out more, and watch our two-minute video explaining the changes with Cochrane’s Ella Flemyng.

A lot has happened in the past twelve months

2023 was a busy time for Cochrane. In recent years, evolving funder expectations, changing user needs and a shift towards open-access publishing have all reshaped the health publishing landscape. We’ve started making some major changes to keep our place as a global leader in health evidence and to ensure we’re able to meet the health evidence needs of a changing world. Here, we’ve pulled together some of the key achievements in 2023 delivered through our Future of Evidence Synthesis programme.

What does Cochrane’s new model for producing systematic reviews look like?

It is important to Cochrane’s future that our editorial processes are independent of review development. This is why all the purely editorial parts of the process are now done by the Central Editorial Service.

As members of a Cochrane Review Group or Thematic Group, you still have a crucial role to play in Cochrane’s future, especially in the delivery of high-quality Cochrane reviews. Here, we have outlined tasks you can continue to do, and also those tasks that are managed by the Central Editorial Service. View here.

Meet the Evidence Synthesis Unit Assessment Panel

Following our callout for applications to be one of Cochrane’s first Evidence Synthesis Units, we are pleased to announce the members of the independent assessment panel. The panel has begun assessing the submissions and the first new Units are expected to be announced in April 2024. Find out more.

A message to Review Groups from the Cochrane Board

A new model for producing Cochrane evidence syntheses was approved by the Governing Board in February 2022 and at that time, the Cochrane Executive Team was tasked with implementing these changes through the Future of Evidence Synthesis programme. Read the full message.