Word count

In RevMan, you can check the word count of your review at any time. From July 2026, the word limit for reviews and updates in the focused review format is 12,000 words, and for protocols it is 6,000 words.

The word count includes the main text, the abstract, and the Plain Language Summary (PLS), but does not include references or supplementary materials. Abstracts should be under 700 words and must not exceed 1,000 words, while PLS should be over 400 words and must not exceed 850 words. Full guidance on this is available in the Cochrane Style Manual.

When a review or update exceeds 10,000 words, or a protocol exceeds 5,000 words, RevMan will display a validation warning to alert you that you are approaching the limit.

All post-submission revisions to the main text, abstract or PLS must remain within the word limit. We recommend not submitting at the maximum limit to allow room for changes later.

Check the review word count

Submission preview

From the left-hand navigation menu of your review in RevMan, go to 'Submission preview' > 'Main article'.

The word count is displayed in the top right-hand corner of the previewed article

Preview article

In the Dashboard of your review in RevMan, go to the 'History' panel.

Select the version of the review that you want to preview, then select 'Preview article', or 'View' if the review is still in long format.

The word count is displayed in the top right-hand corner of the previewed article.

Word count and track changes

When tracking changes in the review, the word count will include all new text but exclude any text marked for deletion. The word count will update to the correct number of words once the suggested changes have been accepted or rejected.

See Track changes for more information.