Background: Cochrane Centres aim to promote human resources developing and the objectives of The Cochrane Collaboration in their geographic area. The initially so called Spanish Centre began in the late 1990s to promote The Cochrane Collaboration (CC) in Latin America and became the Iberoamerican Cochrane Centre (IbCC). Initially one Co-ordinating Centre was created in each country. In 2002, Argentina implemented a model for the expansion of the IbCC that may contribute to other countries with similar characteristics that are trying to develop a network to broaden The Cochrane Collaboration.

Objectives: To describe the process and organization of the Argentine Co-ordinating Centre of the Iberomerican Cochrane Network.

Methods: Description of the model and results will be provided in terms of three types of outcomes: new co-ordinating centres, adherent centres and systematic reviews in The Cochrane Library (title, protocol or full review). Secondary outcomes are trained people; and articles locally distributed describing The Cochrane Collaboration.

Results: The activities of the IbCC formally started in Argentina in 2000. The first Centre was established at the Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy (IECS). After two years a new model was implemented and a new Centre, the Epidemiological Research Centre at the National Academy of Medicine (CIE-ANM), was opened. From 2002 the IECS has promoted the development of two Adherent Centres, and the CIE-ANM five. The production escalated and 12 titles, four protocols, and five reviews were published.

Conclusions: The networking process could be one of the reasons that promoted the development and expansion for The Cochrane Collaboration through 1) increase of support for self-reliance for reviewers, 2) empowerment of the people involved, and 3) promotion of The Cochrane Collaboration and its aims. Lessons learned on this first evaluation of the model will help us to continue with the development of The Cochrane Collaboration.