| Table of Contents |
|---|
Process for handling review proposals
One change only to flowchart: Proposal Manager invites authors to submit draft protocol or review update to Central Editorial Service
1. Proposal submission
Authors submit a proposal to conduct a new Cochrane Review, or to update a published Cochrane Review, to the central Editorial Manager site.
2. PICO screening
...
Evidence surveillance
- Proposal for a new Cochrane Review: the Evidence Pipeline team screen the PICO of the proposed review to help in identifying overlap with existing Cochrane Reviews and gaps in the evidence (see ‘Guidance’ item 2, below).
- Proposal to update a Cochrane Review: the Evidence Pipeline team run a quick search in CENTRAL to identify new studies potentially eligible for inclusion.
3. Discussion and assessment
The Proposal Manager initiates a ‘Discussion’ on the central Editorial Manager site, inviting topic experts to assess the proposal.
- Topic experts nominated by a Cochrane group can be involved in discussions. To nominate additional participants in proposal discussions, please email support@cochrane.org with the person’s details (name, email address, affiliated Cochrane group). If relevant, please specify whether the person will assess proposals covering specific topics only, and provide keywords for the topics they will consider.
...
- An accept decision means that the authors will be invited to submit a draft protocol protocol or review update to Cochrane Central Editorial Service.
- The acceptance of a proposal is not a guarantee of protocol publication.
- Please note that authors should not be requested to revise their proposal. If it is not possible to evaluate the proposal based on the information provided, discussion participants should recommend a reject decision. They may also provide brief feedback for the authors if preferred.
...
After reaching a decision to accept, the topic experts can indicate their ability to provide support to the authors during the protocol development or review development process.
6. Flag high-profile reviews
Topic experts are also asked to flag whether the proposed article could be a high-profile or controversial review. In these cases, the Proposal Manager will contact the Cochrane Review Development team and the Communications team about potential support for the authors.
...
Guidance for topic experts assessing
...
proposals
| Info | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
| Within Editorial Manager, topic experts are asked to consider the following questions when assessing proposals toward a decision to accept or reject: |
Proposal for a new Cochrane Review
1. Does the proposed review cover an important question, suitable for a Cochrane Review?
...
If on submission and full assessment of the protocol, editors deem the topic is of insufficient importance for a Cochrane Review, the methods are not appropriate for the question, or the protocol is otherwise of low quality, the protocol will be rejected.
Proposal to update a Cochrane Review
These questions are based on the Decision framework to assess systematic reviews for updating cited in the Cochrane Handbook.
1. Does the proposed review update still address a current, important question?
Topic experts may determine that an updated review would not be of importance to the Cochrane Library’s audiences at this time.
2. Is the published review up to date? Are there new studies, relevant methods or information available that would change findings?
The results of the Evidence Pipeline team's CENTRAL search for new studies potentially eligible for inclusion will be available within Editorial Manager.
3. Would you recommend that we invite the authors to submit a draft update to Cochrane Central Editorial Service?
If this a new author team, the Proposal Manager will invite a draft protocol. New authors are also asked to seek agreement from authors of the latest published version, to take over the topic. This correspondence is available on the submission File Inventory. There is no guarantee of acceptance for publication at this stage.
| Info | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
| Following a decision to accept, topic experts are also asked to consider the following opportunities for support to the authors: |
4. If you are affiliated with a Cochrane group, will your group be able to provide support to the authors in developing their protocol and/or review?
If you are able to provide author support, you will be copied into the acceptance email to authors, as well as the email to authors inviting a draft protocol or review update. This will enable authors to contact you directly if they wish to seek support.
Indicating your ability to provide author support also means that the new protocol or review update will be listed in your group’s section in Archie.
...
In addition, the Cochrane Communications team will be alerted to the initiation of a review marked as 'high-profile', to help to the team plan for dissemination activities. Authors of controversial reviews may also be offered support in handling engagement on their review.
...
Actions for Proposal Managers following accept and reject decisions
Accept - Cochrane group can offer author support during protocol or review development
- Mark the proposal as accepted in Editorial Manager to create the protocol in RevMan.List the protocol in .
- Proposal for a new Cochrane Review: ensure the new protocol is created in RevMan and listed in the relevant Cochrane group’s section in Archie.
- Proposal to update a Cochrane Review: adjust the author byline on the previous published version and move to authoring phase within the relevant Cochrane group’s section in Archie.
- Copy the Cochrane group in to the acceptance email to authors.
- Invite the authors to submit the draft protocol to Cochrane or review update to Cochrane Central Editorial Service.
- Copy the Cochrane group in to the invitation email to authors, so that groups are aware of the information and guidance provided at this stage.
...
- Mark the proposal as accepted in Editorial Manager to create the protocol in RevMan..
- Proposal for a new Cochrane Review: ensure the new protocol is created in RevMan and listed in the Central Editorial Service section in Archie.
- Proposal to update a Cochrane Review: adjust the author byline on the previous published version and move to authoring phase within
- the Central Editorial Service section in Archie.
- Invite the authors to submit the draft protocol or review update to Cochrane Cochrane Central Editorial Service.
...