Start a new review

Every new Cochrane review begins with a research proposal. 

Don't risk rejection - read the Conflict of interest policy

If your proposal for a new Cochrane review is accepted, you will be invited to submit a draft to Cochrane Central Editorial Service. Your author team’s compliance with Cochrane's conflict of interest policy will be checked on submission. Failure to comply is likely to result in your submission being rejected. Cochrane's conflict of interest policy places restrictions on who can be an author of Cochrane Library content, with further restrictions for first and last authors. It is the responsibility of all authors to ensure they comply with this policy.

  • Log in to Editorial Manager.
    • If you already have a Cochrane Account, your credentials will be recognised. If not, click ‘Sign up now’ on the Cochrane Account login screen and register for an account. Look out for an email asking you to verify your email address. When you have activated your account, you will be redirected to Editorial Manager.
  • On your Author Main Menu, select Submit new manuscript.
  1. Article Type Selection: select the correct article type for your proposed new review. 

    1. Proposal: Intervention review: effectiveness/safety of a treatment, vaccine, device, preventative measure, procedure, or policy

    2. Proposal: Diagnostic test accuracy review: accuracy of a test, device, or scale to aid diagnosis

    3. Proposal: Methodology review: exploration or validation of how research is designed, conducted, reported, or used

    4. Proposal: Overview of reviews: synthesising information from multiple systematic reviews on related research questions

    5. Proposal: Prognosis review: describing and predicting the course of individuals with a disease or health condition

    6. Proposal: Qualitative review: investigating perspectives and experiences of an intervention or health condition

    7. Proposal: Rapid review: streamlining or omitting specific methods. Before submitting your proposal, consult the Cochrane Rapid Review Methods Group criteria for beginning a new rapid review. Describe how your review question and your author team meet the criteria  under 'Comments'.

    8. Proposal: Other review: other types of review may be considered in exceptional circumstances

    9. If you are proposing to undertake a Living review, select the correct review type. Describe the rationale for this approach and specify resources you have available to update the review while it is in living mode under 'Comments'.

  2. Link your ORCID ID if you wish. 
  3. Attach Files: if you are proposing a new Cochrane review, you do not need to upload any files. Proceed.  
  4. Section/Category: choose the clinical topic area of your proposed review. Proceed.
  5. Additional Information: this is the online form where you can give details of your proposed review. Your answers will be used to assess the merit of your proposal. Complete all questions in as much detail as possible. Proposals containing insufficient information are likely to be rejected.
    1. Follow the guidance in the Cochrane Handbook when outlining the scope and objectives of your proposed review.
    2. Show how your proposed review is important to people making decisions about health or health care.
    3. Do some preliminary research to answer the question on studies eligible for potential inclusion in your proposed review.
  6. Comments: if you have already been in contact with a Cochrane group and have the group's approval to proceed with your protocol, please note here: 'This proposal has been pre-approved by [named contact] on behalf of Cochrane [group name].' Proceed.
  7. Manuscript data:
    1. Title: follow the guidance in the Cochrane Handbook on title format for a Cochrane review of interventions. See our guidance on title formats for other review types.
    2. Keywords: detail the intervention and outcomes of your proposed review.
    3. Authors: add full details of your author team. Please check if your co-authors already have Cochrane Accounts. If so, you must enter the same primary email used for their Cochrane Account. Please note that you should add details for individual authors but not 'group authors' such as research organisations ('Lung Cancer Research Group'). If you have any queries, contact support@cochrane.org.


Cochrane reviews are a team effort

Your proposal will be rejected if you do not include at least two authors. Your author team should have skills and experience including:

  • content knowledge relating to the topic of the review
  • knowledge of systematic review methodology (including formulating the review question and eligibility criteria, searching and assessing the risk of bias of relevant studies)
  • expertise in developing search strategies and searching medical databases (we recommend a qualified Information Specialist or Librarian)
  • statistical knowledge to extract appropriate data, conduct meta-analyses where appropriate, and interpret and discuss the results
  • ability to write a scientific report of publishable standard in English
  • project management and leadership ability (usually the named Corresponding author)
  • Build PDF for approval.
  • When the status of the PDF shows as ‘Needs Approval’ on the right-hand side of the screen, use the Action links menu on the left-hand side to View Submission. This downloads a PDF copy of your proposal for you to check. 
  • Approve submission.

Your proposal will be sent to the Cochrane Proposal Manager. You will receive an automated email confirming this. You will receive further correspondence when your proposal has been assessed by topic experts. You will usually hear from us with a decision on your proposal within 28 days. If topic experts approve your proposal, you will be invited to submit a draft protocol to Cochrane Central Editorial Service. 

Important: Please note that approving a proposal does not guarantee that a protocol will be accepted. You will be given a time limited period to prepare a draft protocol for submission. If you do not submit a draft for editorial consideration by the end of that period, Cochrane will reserve the right to assign your title to another team.