Article type
Year
Abstract
Background: Keeping reviews up to date is one of the ten principles of The Cochrane Collaboration. Originally it was perceived as a simple task. However, in reality it often requires changing the content of reviews in the light of new methods and standards, as well as adding new trials. In 2005, due to increasing problems with updating reviews, the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group developed a more formal approach to initiating and facilitating the review update process. During this process, we also worked with authors to assess the time required in updating for them, editorial inputs, and the time period required to complete the task.
Objective: To evaluate the tasks and time required to update Cochrane reviews; to describe the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group strategy for updating, and reflect on its implementation.
Methods: We will describe the amount of time between contacting an author about the need for an update of their Infectious Group Cochrane review and submission of the draft update. We will record the different factors affecting this process, including willingness of the author to update, number of potentially relevant trials, need for methodological improvements, and the need for editorial improvements (eg style), and the date when we initiate the review update (in relation to the new process).
Results: We will present a flowchart outlining what happens to reviews following initial contact, ranging from no replies to submission of update. We will present detailed results for those initial contacts that have resulted in a draft submission. This will include the time it took for the authors to complete the draft update and the different factors affecting the update process.
Conclusions: This information about the actual time that it takes an author to update a review will help the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group to reflect on the approach needed to update reviews. This information will also be of interest to other Cochrane Collaborative Review Groups and indeed authors, and may influence the approach that The Cochrane Collaboration takes to produce its policy on updating.
Objective: To evaluate the tasks and time required to update Cochrane reviews; to describe the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group strategy for updating, and reflect on its implementation.
Methods: We will describe the amount of time between contacting an author about the need for an update of their Infectious Group Cochrane review and submission of the draft update. We will record the different factors affecting this process, including willingness of the author to update, number of potentially relevant trials, need for methodological improvements, and the need for editorial improvements (eg style), and the date when we initiate the review update (in relation to the new process).
Results: We will present a flowchart outlining what happens to reviews following initial contact, ranging from no replies to submission of update. We will present detailed results for those initial contacts that have resulted in a draft submission. This will include the time it took for the authors to complete the draft update and the different factors affecting the update process.
Conclusions: This information about the actual time that it takes an author to update a review will help the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group to reflect on the approach needed to update reviews. This information will also be of interest to other Cochrane Collaborative Review Groups and indeed authors, and may influence the approach that The Cochrane Collaboration takes to produce its policy on updating.