Article type
Year
Abstract
Objective: To assess international activity within Collaborative Review Groups of The Cochrane Collaboration.
Methods: Using Issue 1, 2004 of The Cochrane Library, information was taken from the section headed Editorial information in the module of each Collaborative Review Group (repeating the exercise done 12, 24 and 42 months previously). Data were extracted into a spreadsheet by one of the authors (CA). The data can be analyzed by type of contributor (Advisors, Co-ordinating Editors, Criticism Editors, other Editors, Consumers, Referees, Handsearchers, other members of the editorial team, Review Group Co-ordinators, Trials Search Co-ordinators, and Translators), and the country in which they reside. If a country had not been allocated to an individual, she or he was not included. Individuals listed in more than one category or in more than one Collaborative Review Group module were counted each time.
Results: Of the 50 Collaborative Review Groups, 11,517 contributors were identified from a total of 91 different countries. This is an increase, from 9281 contributors and 83 countries, since the beginning of 2003. In 2002 there were 7727 contributors in 78 countries, and in 2000 there were 5436 contributors in 64 countries. The number of contributors based in countries classified by The World Bank (www.worldbank.com/data/countryclass/ classgroups.htm) as low, lower-middle or upper-middle income economies has continued to increase: 1079 (10%) of the contributors compared with 762 (8.2%) in 2003, 552 (7.1%) in 2002, and 307 (5.6%) in 2000. In 2004, 6695 (58%) of all contributors were listed as authors, compared with 5159 (55%) in 2003, 4250 (55%) in 2002, and 2840 (52%) in 2000. Additional analyses will be included in our presentation.
Conclusions: The activity within Cochrane Collaborative Review Groups is international. The relative contribution of different countries is variable, but there is a clear year on year increase in the number of contributors from low, lower-middle and upper-middle income economy countries. This increase is proportionally greater than for high-income economy countries. The spreadsheet is available from the Cochrane Collaboration Secretariat (callen@cochrane.org).
Methods: Using Issue 1, 2004 of The Cochrane Library, information was taken from the section headed Editorial information in the module of each Collaborative Review Group (repeating the exercise done 12, 24 and 42 months previously). Data were extracted into a spreadsheet by one of the authors (CA). The data can be analyzed by type of contributor (Advisors, Co-ordinating Editors, Criticism Editors, other Editors, Consumers, Referees, Handsearchers, other members of the editorial team, Review Group Co-ordinators, Trials Search Co-ordinators, and Translators), and the country in which they reside. If a country had not been allocated to an individual, she or he was not included. Individuals listed in more than one category or in more than one Collaborative Review Group module were counted each time.
Results: Of the 50 Collaborative Review Groups, 11,517 contributors were identified from a total of 91 different countries. This is an increase, from 9281 contributors and 83 countries, since the beginning of 2003. In 2002 there were 7727 contributors in 78 countries, and in 2000 there were 5436 contributors in 64 countries. The number of contributors based in countries classified by The World Bank (www.worldbank.com/data/countryclass/ classgroups.htm) as low, lower-middle or upper-middle income economies has continued to increase: 1079 (10%) of the contributors compared with 762 (8.2%) in 2003, 552 (7.1%) in 2002, and 307 (5.6%) in 2000. In 2004, 6695 (58%) of all contributors were listed as authors, compared with 5159 (55%) in 2003, 4250 (55%) in 2002, and 2840 (52%) in 2000. Additional analyses will be included in our presentation.
Conclusions: The activity within Cochrane Collaborative Review Groups is international. The relative contribution of different countries is variable, but there is a clear year on year increase in the number of contributors from low, lower-middle and upper-middle income economy countries. This increase is proportionally greater than for high-income economy countries. The spreadsheet is available from the Cochrane Collaboration Secretariat (callen@cochrane.org).