Moving forward together: 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.
Despite the centralisation of editorial tasks, Cochrane’s Review Groups will continue to play an indispensable role in this process by providing invaluable input and support authors throughout the review process. Their expertise is crucial in assessing new review proposals and they will continue to offer essential assistance to authors.
“Our Review Groups and Thematic Groups remain pivotal in shaping the future of Cochrane’s work”
The Acting Head of Editorial in the CES, Colleen Ovelman, explained the important role that groups will play in the new process. She said: “Our Review Groups and Thematic Groups remain pivotal in shaping the future of Cochrane’s work. We rely on their expertise and experience, and we are keen to explore the best ways of collaborating as we move forward. During this transition, we realise that editorial turnaround times are longer than we would like them to be. By expanding our team and refining our processes, we’re hoping our groups and authors will start to see real improvements towards the second half of this year.”
In addition to these changes, there are ongoing efforts to enhance Cochrane's platforms and systems. Several Review Groups are already working with Cochrane's RevMan team to introduce new features for project and portfolio management, aimed at streamlining portfolio management and review progress. An upgrade is expected in the first half of 2024, with training information provided in due course.
Cochrane is committed to maintaining open communication during these changes. Anyone with questions or concerns is encouraged to reach out to the CES team at editorial-service@cochrane.org.
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