Note: During 2021, Cochrane is changing its editorial management and production systems, including changes to the way copy-editing operates. This page will be updated in due course. Any questions about copy-editing should be addressed to ces@cochrane.org and any enquiries about the editorial process should be addressed to support@cochrane.org.

Cochrane’s Copy Edit Support team provides a copy-editing service for protocols and reviews ahead of publication, working alongside Cochrane Review Groups to enhance clarity and readability. Copy Edit Support is part of Cochrane's Editorial and Methods Department (formerly the Cochrane Editorial Unit) and supports the publication of high-quality Cochrane Reviews. Copy Edit Support was set up in 2004 by Cochrane’s publisher, Wiley, which continues to support the service. In January 2014 management of Copy Edit Support was transferred to Cochrane.

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Copy-editors check submissions against the Cochrane Style Manual, and other Cochrane guidelines, including the Methodological Expectations of Cochrane Intervention Reviews (MECIR) standards, the Plain Language Expectations for Authors of Cochrane Summaries (PLEACS) standards, the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions, the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Diagnostic Test Accuracy.

How do I submit Cochrane Reviews (including protocols and updates) for copy-editing?

The Copy Editing Manager, Elizabeth Royle, Support team can help with queries relating to copy-editing at any time in a review’s lifecycle. The more information you can provide (and the earlier the better) before it is submitted, the more Copy Edit Support can support you. For example, it is helpful to know the approximate word count, the number of tables, included studies, number of comparisons, and 'Summary of findings' tables, and anything notable or unusual about the review.

Please notify Copy Edit Support as soon as your review is ready for copy-editing. Send an email about the review to Elizabeth Royle ces@cochrane.org. Please state the review title in the subject line of your email and whether the submission is a protocol, new review or an update. For new reviews and updates, please state how many included trials there are. There is no need to send a copy of the protocol, review, or update with the email message.

If a review is updated frequently or soon after the previous citation version, it may not be necessary to copy-edit all of the text. If you are submitting an updated review where this may apply, please notify the Copy Editing Manager Edit Support on submission.

What if my review is urgent or there is a deadline for publication?

The Copy Edit Support team receives a growing number of submissions indicated as urgent for various reasons. While the Copy Editing Manager will try to prioritize your submission, this may not be possible if there are multiple concurrent urgent submissions. Please contact the Copy Editing Manager Support (ces@cochrane.org) as early as possible if you have urgent work, and take extra care to ensure these submissions are ready for copy-editing.

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Note that any changes made post copy-edit must not reverse changes made by copy-editors in accordance with the Cochrane Style Manual, and in general changes should be avoided unless to resolve queries. If you have questions or concerns about the copy-editing of a particular review, please discuss them with the Copy Editing Manager.

What kind of

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training does Copy Edit Support provide?

Copy Edit Support does not provide basic copy-edit training, but rather focuses on providing training in elements of Cochrane style. For further information, please contact Elizabeth Royle.

Copy Edit Support team

Elizabeth Royle (Copy Editing Manager)

Denise Mitchell (Senior Copy Editor)

Freelance copy-editorsCochrane employs a team of freelance copy-editors. The members of the current team are:

• Kate Cahill
• Clare Dooley
• Jason Elliot-Smith
• Meggan HarrisHasci Horvath 
• Anne Lawson
• Anne Lethaby
• Dolores Matthews
• Heather MaxwellDenise Mitchell
• Vicki PennickElizabeth Royle
• Jessica Sharp
• Andrea Takeda
• Deirdre Walshe
• Lisa Winer

Copy Edit Support also recruits and trains new copy-editors periodically. For more information, please send an inquiry to Elizabeth Royle.