Article type
Year
Abstract
Discussion: Training and support for reviewers and review groups is important for the production and maintenance of high quality systematic reviews. Training activities of the Australasian Cochrane Centre (ACC) are similar to those of other Cochrane centres, targeting reviewers and potential reviewers, mainly in the form of a program of workshops conducted throughout the region. We are unclear about whether or how to provide training for editors or co-ordinators of collaborative review groups. Support activities such as visits from ACC staff, telephone and written help with reviews and electronic mail discussions are undertaken on an opportunistic basis or in response to specific requests from collaborators in our region.
The ACC is currently surveying reviewers, editors and review group co-ordinators in our region to inform its future training and support activities. Specifically we hope to:
* assess their current utilisation of ACC training and support activities and barriers to utilisation
* assess their views about the usefulness of current ACC training and support activities
* assess their training and support needs and expectations of the ACC
* learn their views about optimum training formats, sites and materials.
We have identified reviewers, editors and co-ordinators in our region by means of the Cochrane Library, the ACC mailing list and contact with review group co-ordinators around the world. For this survey, a person is considered to be a reviewer if they have completed a Cochrane review or protocol, or they have informed a review group co-ordinalor or Cochrane Centre about a Cochrane review they plan to do. Questionnaires were designed and mailed to these three groups with a covering letter explaining the survey. A second questionnaire was mailed to reviewers who had not responded within six weeks of the first mailout. Editors and co-ordinators were phoned and if wanting to participate, were given the options of a telephone interview at their convenience or completing the questionnaire themselves.
Data collection is continuing. We anticipate completion of data collection by end April with data analysis and reporting of the results and our recommendations by July 1997. We shall present our results and recommendations at the colloquium. Information from the survey will be used to inform ACC training and support activities. This information may be useful to others involved in training and review group support within the Collaboration.
The ACC is currently surveying reviewers, editors and review group co-ordinators in our region to inform its future training and support activities. Specifically we hope to:
* assess their current utilisation of ACC training and support activities and barriers to utilisation
* assess their views about the usefulness of current ACC training and support activities
* assess their training and support needs and expectations of the ACC
* learn their views about optimum training formats, sites and materials.
We have identified reviewers, editors and co-ordinators in our region by means of the Cochrane Library, the ACC mailing list and contact with review group co-ordinators around the world. For this survey, a person is considered to be a reviewer if they have completed a Cochrane review or protocol, or they have informed a review group co-ordinalor or Cochrane Centre about a Cochrane review they plan to do. Questionnaires were designed and mailed to these three groups with a covering letter explaining the survey. A second questionnaire was mailed to reviewers who had not responded within six weeks of the first mailout. Editors and co-ordinators were phoned and if wanting to participate, were given the options of a telephone interview at their convenience or completing the questionnaire themselves.
Data collection is continuing. We anticipate completion of data collection by end April with data analysis and reporting of the results and our recommendations by July 1997. We shall present our results and recommendations at the colloquium. Information from the survey will be used to inform ACC training and support activities. This information may be useful to others involved in training and review group support within the Collaboration.