Objectives:

Participants will have the opportunity to discuss the new standards, and use them to develop their skills in writing and critiquing PLSs. A selection of real reviews will be used, with permission of the authors, and participants will be guided through the process of writing a PLS using these real examples. The session will provide practical experience in producing a good-quality PLS, and on providing constructive criticism to PLSs written by others. The workshop will also involve participants in judging the entries to a PLS-writing competition, the winners of which will be announced during the Colloquium.

Description:

The plain language summary (PLS) is arguably the most visible and widely read part of a Cochrane review. It is intended to be easily understandable by the general public, is freely available globally, frequently translated, and reproduced in the press and in health-related websites. The PLEACS (Plain Language Expectations for Authors of Cochrane Summaries) initiative has resulted in the publication of a set of standards to help those involved in writing the PLS. It aims to ensure that review findings are consistently and clearly presented in a standard format which is helpful to those making decisions about healthcare.