Copy Editor tasks

Production workflows 

Task assignment 

When you are assigned to copy edit a submission, you will receive a task assignment email from Editorial Manager. The assignment email will make it clear which of the two production workflows you should follow. If you are in any doubt, please contact support@cochrane.org.  

The assignment email will include the Production Notes for your submission. MEs are asked to use the Production Notes to share editorial decisions and other relevant information, particularly if any aspect of the submission varies from standard practice. 

Initial copy edit: manuscripts managed by Central Editorial Service from first submission

Copy Edit Comments Form

Download a blank Copy Editor Comments Form to complete as you edit. 

Instructions for Copy Editors

This guidance is included at the head of the Copy edit comments form. It is reproduced here for reference. 

• This manuscript has been managed by Cochrane Central Editorial Service from first submission. 
• The methods and content are considered acceptable for publication.
• Proofs will be returned directly to authors with no editorial input after acceptance.
• Focused format:
  • This manuscript is in the focused format. Only the main article will be copy edited. 
  • Please correct for Cochrane style and accessible language throughout the main article. 
• Long format:
  • All sections of this manuscript including tables and appendices will be copy edited.
  • Please correct for Cochrane style and accessible language throughout.
• You do not need to use tracked changes (authors can view edits by comparing versions). Please use tracked changes when making more substantial corrections which might need author approval, for authors to accept when correcting proofs.
• If raising queries for authors, please focus on consistency and/or clarification of terminology or phrasing. Queries should not reference conduct or reporting standards.
• When authors have corrected their proofs, you will complete a final proofread. If necessary, final queries may be sent to authors at proofread stage. Please list any outstanding comments in the Final queries section at the top of the form, so these are clearly visible to authors.

Methods and contents issues in production

• During your initial copy edit, if you are concerned about apparent discrepancies with conduct or reporting standards which you feel may affect the validity of the review’s findings, and you are not confident that these have been approved by the Central Editorial Service team, please follow the instructions below to raise a concern.
• Your concern should relate to an objective error (deviation from mandatory conduct or reporting standards). Subjective decisions (deviation from highly desirable standards) do not need reporting.
• Suggested substantial changes to review titles should also be reported via this channel. Corrections to typos or punctuation in titles do not need reporting.
• Email ugonthier@cochrane.org, CC. eroyle@cochrane.org and production@cochrane.org and include the following information:
  • • Title, manuscript number, title of section, deadline for completion of assignment.
    • Full details of concern.

Copy edit

• Follow the link in the assignment email to open the review in RevMan.
• You do not need to use tracked changes (authors can view edits by comparing versions). Please use tracked changes when making more substantial corrections which might need author approval, for authors to accept when correcting proofs.
• If raising queries for authors, please focus on consistency and/or clarification of terminology or phrasing. Queries should not reference conduct or reporting standards.
• Complete your initial copy edit and tag a version with a relevant description (e.g. Copy edit complete).
• Locate the review in Archie (use the 'Find in Archie' button on the RevMan dashboard). Move to Authoring phase to allow authors to view proofs. 
• When you have finished editing, follow the task link in the task assignment email to locate the task in Editorial Manager. If you cannot find the email, you can also log in to Editorial Manager and go to Submission Tasks Assigned to Me on the Tasks tab. 
• Locate the correct manuscript number and task > Submit Task.
• On the task submission screen, select Upload Files.
• Select Item Type > Copy Edit Comments Form > Browse to select your Copy Edit Comments Form as an attachment.
• Add a relevant Description > Proceed.
• Customise the letter if you wish (the recipient is Elizabeth Royle, CC. production@cochrane.org) > Submit Production Task.

You do NOT need to assign a follow-on task. Submitting your copy edit task will automatically send an email to the Corresponding Author to assign the next task > Author Proofs. 

Initial copy edit: manuscripts managed by groups or transferred to Central Editorial Service

Copy Edit Comments Form

Download a blank Copy Editor Comments Form to complete as you edit:

• Protocol - Copy Editor Comments Form
• Review - Copy Editor Comments Form

Copy edit

• Follow the link in the assignment email to open the review in RevMan. 
• Add any queries to the Copy Edit Comments Form as you edit.
• Complete your initial copy edit and tag a version with a relevant description (e.g. Copy edit complete).
• When you have finished editing, follow the task link in the task assignment email to locate the task in Editorial Manager. If you cannot find the email, you can also log in to Editorial Manager and go to Submission Tasks Assigned to Me on the Tasks tab. Locate the correct manuscript number and task > Submit Task.
• On the task submission screen, select Upload Files.
• Select Item Type > Copy Edit Comments Form > Browse to select your Copy Edit Comments Form as an attachment.
• Add a relevant Description > Proceed.
• Customise the letter if you wish (the recipient is Elizabeth Royle, CC. production@cochrane.org) > Submit Production Task.
• Assign Follow-On Task > Choose task RevMan: ME Review Copy Edit (this will be automatically selected) > Proceed with Selected Task.
• Select the correct Managing Editor in the Task Assigned to field (the ME copied in to your task assignment letter).
• Assign Task and Send Letter.
• On the task completion screen, select Done.

Final proofread: all manuscripts

When you are assigned to proofread a submission, you will receive a task assignment email from Editorial Manager.

• Follow the link in the email to locate the task.
• Select Assignment Files to view amended Copy Edit Comments Form.
• Follow the link in the assignment email to open the review in RevMan.
• Check the phase on the RevMan dashboard. If the phase shows as Authoring, locate the review in Archie (use the 'Find in Archie' button on the RevMan dashboard). Move to Editorial phase. 
• Compare the current version with the last copy-edited version on the History, to view changes.
• Check that any queries from the initial copy edit have been adequately addressed or rebutted in the current version.
• Check that changes made by the authors:
  • Adhere to preferences and previous copy edit decisions on spelling, use of abbreviations, etc (see Copy Edit Comments Form).
  • Adhere to Style Manual (e.g. active voice, and/or, dates etc)
  • Haven’t introduced inconsistency with other sections, for example, PRISMA diagram, results or names of outcomes.
• When satisfied, in green, sign each point off as ‘OK’ on the form and insert date and your initials in the right-hand column.
• If changes are inappropriate, or do not answer the queries adequately, add a note in red to the form to explain the issue, and insert date and your initials in the right-hand column. Assign a Final queries task (see below) to ask the authors to address outstanding issues. Do not submit the Final proofread task.
• If you are happy all queries have been addressed, follow the instructions below to send to publication.

Full read-through 

Read through the main article in full before completing your proofread.

• Use the Submission Preview or View in RevMan to preview the publishable content. You can generate a PDF of the View if you prefer.
• Read through the full article to identify any obvious errors or typos.
• Please pay particular attention to the Abstract (shared with third parties and published on PubMed) and Plain language summary (translated by Cochrane translation teams). 
• Please also preview all Figures to confirm they display correctly.
• Run a spell check.
• Run a validation check.

Send to publication

• Tag a version with a relevant description (Final proofread complete) when you are happy with the final proofs.
• Follow the link in the assignment email to locate the task in Editorial Manager. If you cannot find the email, you can also log in to Editorial Manager and go to Submission Tasks Assigned to Me on the Tasks tab.
• Submit Task > on the task submission screen, select Upload Files. 
• Select Item Type > Copy Edit Comments Form > Browse to select your Copy Edit Comments Form as an attachment.
• Add a relevant Description > Proceed.
• Customise the letter if you wish (the recipient is Elizabeth Royle, CC. production@cochrane.org) > Submit Production Task.

This ends your tasks for this submission. You can return to your Production Tasks Menu to view other open tasks. 

Final queries: all manuscripts (if applicable)

During the final proofread, you may have some outstanding queries which need input from authors before the manuscript can move forward to publication. 

• Do NOT submit the Final proofread task.
• From the submission Action Menu > click on Assign Production Task > Select Production Task: RevMan: Final Queries for Author > Proceed with Selected Task.
  • For manuscripts with editor input after acceptance, you may also choose to assign the task 'RevMan: Final Queries for ME'. 
• Attach the latest copy of the Copy Edit Comments form to the task assignment email.
• To save a copy of the form on the File Inventory also, scroll to the bottom of the window showing the email, to view the list of Companion Files.
• Select Upload New Companion Files.
• Select item type Copy Edit Comments form and then browse to select the latest version of the form with details of outstanding issues that must be addressed before publication > Proceed.
• Assign Task and Send Letter > customise the letter to include brief details of your queries.
• If you have assigned the task 'RevMan: Final Queries for Author',locate the review in Archie (use the 'Find in Archie' button on the RevMan dashboard). Move to Authoring phase to allow authors to view proofs. 

You will receive a notification from Editorial Manager to let you know when the final queries task is complete: 

• Check the phase on the RevMan dashboard. If the phase shows as Authoring, locate the review in Archie (use the 'Find in Archie' button on the RevMan dashboard). Move to Editorial phase. 
• Compare the current version with the last copy-edited version on the History, to view changes.
• If all queries have been addressed, go to Editorial Manager > Production Tasks Menu > Submission Tasks Assigned to Me.
• Locate the task RevMan: Copy Edit Final > Submit Task. 
• On the task submission screen, select Upload Files and add the most up-to-date version of the Copy Edit Comments Form > Submit Task. 

If you need to repeat the Final Queries task more than once, please flag to support@cochrane.org. We are monitoring the number of submissions which require multiple rounds of queries. 

General editing guidance: all manuscripts

Copy editing references

The RevMan team are working on auto-formatting references to Cochrane style in RevMan. This will significantly reduce the need to correct references manually. Until the auto-formatting options are available for use in RevMan (current estimate June-July 2024), you can either correct references if doing so will not affect your assignment return deadline; or take a light touch and correct the worst errors only. The Editor in Chief and the Future of Evidence Synthesis Oversight Committee have agreed this, and are happy with the risk that references are not correctly formatted for publication.

Please note that Cochrane style is not required to generate the ‘discoverability’ links which display within the References section of published reviews on the Cochrane Library (see published example including links to CENTRAL, PubMed, Google Scholar). These links provide excellent value to readers in allowing them to access source papers. The links are generated based on a string including key bibliographic information (e.g. first author name, journal title, year of publication). This string does not depend on the references conforming exactly to Cochrane style. 

• If authors have not provided a full reference, or any reference, you can request complete information. This is not the same as asking authors to correct existing references; as it relates not to style but to research integrity (citing genuine papers) and discoverability (readers locating source papers).

• Where full references exist, if you are choosing which errors to correct it may be helpful to focus on the most prominent references (e.g. to Included Studies); or on the errors that can impact how references display after publication. For instance, the Cochrane Register of Studies and CENTRAL team have confirmed that for trial registry records, entering the trial ID in the 'Author' field is a minimum requirement; and increases the chances links to CENTRAL will display after publication. 

• Your chosen approach may also depend on factors such as the number of references and the time constraints of your assignment. 

• You may choose to add the following text to the ‘References’ section in the Copy Edit comments form, to reflect your chosen approach.

  • Minimal corrections were made to resolve the most significant discrepancies with Cochrane referencing style.

  • References updated to conform to Cochrane style.

Copy editing Summary of Findings tables (SoFT) linked with GRADEPro GDT

• Check the SoFT to confirm if linked tables have been created using the GRADEpro integration (linked tables have a GRADEPro icon - see the RevMan Knowledge Base).

• If there are no linked tables make any required changes to the SoFT to apply Cochrane style.

• If there are linked tables, Cochrane Support can ask the authors' permission to deactivate the GRADEPro integration to allow you to apply Cochrane style in RevMan:

  • If all changes required are to style, format and wording, add to Copy Edit Comments Form: 'No action required from authors. We will disable the GRADEPro integration to apply Cochrane style to your tables during the Final Proofread. There will be no change to the data in your table. Cochrane Support will contact you by email with further information.'

  • Email support@cochrane.org and request deactivation.

  • If the authors need to make changes to the data within the table, explain the changes on the Copy Edit Comments Form. Review the changes at the final proofread. If the data are correct, email support@cochrane.org and request deactivation.

Review information

Please help to pre-empt technical issues in production by checking key aspects of the review information copy edit.

What's New events

• In RevMan, go to Dates and Events in the left-hand navigation.

• Events added here form the published version history of the review on the Cochrane Library.

  • If you are copy editing a new review or protocol, this section should be blank.

  • If you are copy editing an updated review, you should see two What's New events, one of which should be Updated.

• Please flag any doubts or discrepancies to support@cochrane.org. Guidance on how editors should use these events is available at Assigning What’s New events to Cochrane Reviews.

Advanced features in empty reviews 

• There is a known issue where an empty Risk of bias heading and table will show on the Cochrane Library, in empty reviews using Risk of bias 2. 

• In RevMan Web, check which advanced features are shown on the dashboard. Is Risk of bias 2 enabled?

• Check the number of included studies.

• If there are none (empty review), please flag to support@cochrane.org.

Full task workflow with screenshots

When you have finished editing, follow the task link in the task assignment email to locate the task in Editorial Manager. If you cannot find the email, you can also log in to Editorial Manager and go to Submission Tasks Assigned to Me on the Tasks tab.

Submit Task

On the task submission screen, select Upload Files.

Select Item Type > Copy Edit Comments Form.

Browse to select your Copy Edit Comments Form as an attachment.

Add a relevant Description > Proceed.

Customise the letter if you wish (the recipient is Elizabeth Royle).

Submit Production Task.

Assign Follow-On Task.

Choose task RevMan: ME Review Copy Edit (this will be automatically selected) > Proceed with Selected Task.

Select the correct Managing Editor in the Task Assigned to field (the ME copied in to your task assignment letter).

Assign Task and Send Letter.

On the task completion screen, select Done.

Final proofread

When you are assigned to proofread a submission, you will receive a task assignment email from Editorial Manager.

Follow the link in the email to locate the task.

Select Assignment Files to view amended Copy Edit Comments Form.

Read through the finished article 

If all your queries have been answered and the review information looks correct,  please read through the main article before completing your proofread.

View the current version in RevMan.

The submission View shows all the content that will be published, as it will display after publication. 

You can generate a PDF of the View if you prefer.

Read through the full article, from the Abstract to the Acknowledgements to identify any obvious errors or typos.

Please pay particular attention to the Abstract (shared with third parties and published on PubMed) and Plain language summary (translated by Cochrane translation teams). 

Please also preview all Figures to confirm they display correctly in the RevMan View.

Send the submission to publication

Tag or check in a version with a relevant description (Final proofread complete) when you are happy with the final proofs.

Follow the task link in the task assignment email to locate the task in Editorial Manager. If you cannot find the email, you can also log in to Editorial Manager and go to Submission Tasks Assigned to Me on the Tasks tab.

Submit Task.

On the task submission screen, select Upload Files. 

Select Item Type > Copy Edit Comments Form.

Browse to select your Copy Edit Comments Form as an attachment.

Add a relevant Description > Proceed.

Customise the letter if you wish (the recipient is Elizabeth Royle).

Submit Production Task.

This ends your tasks for this submission. You can return to your Production Tasks Menu to view other open tasks. 

Contact a Managing Editor

On the Tasks tab, select the folder View all Submissions in Production. 

Locate the submission for which you have a query.

Select action Send Email.

The email will automatically go to the Corresponding Editor for the submission, with production@cochrane.org in CC. 

You can add other recipients in the To: field if you wish.

Customise the letter Copy Editor query to CRG (Copy Editor query to ME - on Central Editorial Service site) to include your queries.

Preview and Send.

Pre-edit task 

• If a Pre-edit has been completed for the manuscript:
  • The Production Notes will show sections edited. You can read these sections for sense but should not need to copy edit them.
  • A Copy Edit Comments Form including pre-edit notes will be available to you as an Assignment File in Editorial Manager. Follow the link in your assignment email to download the form including pre-edit notes.
  • Please ensure you add your comments to the version of the form including pre-edit notes.