Publishing the completed Cochrane Review in a journal before publication is reserved for exceptional circumstances. Authors considering this option should first contact the Managing Editor of the relevant Cochrane Review Group (CRG) with a completed ‘Permission to co-publish’ form (Permission to co-publish an abridged version of a Cochrane Review in a journal). The Managing Editor will refer each case to the Cochrane Editorial and & Methods Department for permission (contact ceu@cochraneemd@cochrane.org and ensure that the subject line of your email clearly states “Co-publication query”). The authors, the CRG and the journal will be required to follow all steps outlined in the section 'Co-publication process'.
Authors should also be aware that submitting an abridged version of a Cochrane Review (completed or in progress) to a journal without permission from the Cochrane Review Group ( CRG ) and Cochrane Editorial and & Methods Department, and with the intention that the journal version is published first, is considered duplicate submission. In such cases the CRG will reject the Cochrane Review and it will not be published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR).