Voices of Cochrane authors: a review of Cochrane podcasts from 2014 to 2018

Article type
Authors
Wheat S1, Clarke M2, Rosati P3
1Assistant Editor, Wiley, Chichester
2Northern Ireland Methodology Hub, Queen’s University Belfast, UK; Podcast Editor, Cochrane Library
3Web Operations Manager, Informatics & Technology (IT) Services, Cochrane Central Executive Team, Freiburg
Abstract
Background: Cochrane podcasts deliver the latest evidence from the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews in a convenient easy-to-access audio format in under five minutes. Each podcast offers a summary of a recent Cochrane Review and allows the listener to hear directly from the review authors themselves. Since their launch in 2008, nearly 1300 podcasts have been published on the Cochrane website and more than 30 languages are represented across the collection (cochranelibrary.com/about/podcasts).

Objectives: this poster will provide an overview of Cochrane podcasts published between 2014 and 2018, in English and other languages. It will show how the podcasts allow the authors of Cochrane Reviews to gain greater recognition for the importance of their work.

Methods: from 2014 to 2018, 262 Cochrane podcasts were published in English and many of these were translated into other languages, contributing an additional 489 non-English podcasts. This means that approximately 7% of the Cochrane Reviews published for the first time or updated during the period were accompanied by a podcast. We will present data on access to these podcasts, identifying the five most popular over the period, and highlight the range of languages that have been covered.

Results: our results will be presented at the Cochrane Colloquium.

Conclusions: this retrospective five-year review of Cochrane podcasts will provide insight into the scope of content available and how it is used. It acknowledges the hard work that has gone into the creation and translation of Cochrane podcasts by hundreds of Cochrane Review authors.

Patient or healthcare consumer involvement: Cochrane podcasts are accessible, brief, and free to access. They allow patients and consumers to hear the latest Cochrane evidence in under five minutes and are increasingly available to them in languages other than English.