The 2012 strategic session on 'Cochrane Content' took place on 18 April 2012 at The Cochrane Collaboration's 2012 mid-year meeting in Paris, France. The session was very productive and we thank everyone who took part.
Download the background paper for the Strategic Session
Short version (executive summary, recommendations, programme), 500 KB
Full report (including appendices), 2.5 MB
Full report with no appendices, 1.2 MB
Appendices only, 2 MB
The background paper outlines the work that we and others conducted in preparation for this strategic session. It includes a series of recommendations relating to The Cochrane Library, particularly the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Reviews, and derivative products. The recommendations were discussed at the strategic session, and will inform the strategic direction and a work plan for the next three to five years for the Cochrane Editorial Unit (CEU) and editorial teams, the publisher of our products, and The Cochrane Collaboration as a whole.
Survey: 'Your views on The Cochrane Library'
We conducted an online survey to gather a wide range of views on Cochrane Content. The initial survey findings are included in the strategic session background paper and we will present a final report during the 2012 Cochrane Colloquium (30 Sept to 3 Oct 2012, Auckland).
The survey is now closed. Thanks to everyone who took part.
About the strategic session
The CEU led this session and developed the programme with input from people and groups inside and outside the Collaboration. The six themes that we chose focused on products and users (themes 1 to 3) or Cochrane Reviews (themes 4 to 6). The theme leaders and working parties prepared the background paper, based on stakeholder consultation and related theme projects, to share at the Paris session. Based on feedback during the session, and further consultation after the session, the theme leaders will prepare a final strategy document and work-plan to present at the Auckland Cochrane Colloquium in October 2012. The aim is to develop and prioritize recommendations based on broad consultation with internal and external stakeholders to inform the direction of work for the next three to five years for the CEU and editorial teams, the publishers of our products, and The Cochrane Collaboration as a whole.
The previous strategic sessions have been successful at raising awareness and contributing to strategy in a number of key areas. They have focused on assessing the recommendations of the 2008-9 Strategic Review of The Cochrane Collaboration (2009), forming the strategic direction for consumer involvement in The Cochrane Collaboration (2010), and ensuring The Cochrane Collaboration enables better global participation (2011).
Why Cochrane content?
The long-term sustainability of The Cochrane Collaboration depends most crucially on its ability to create content that is relevant to decision-making in clinical care and health policy. The Collaboration's primary purpose is to produce Cochrane systematic reviews, but the Collaboration also develops other databases within The Cochrane Library, and elements of Cochrane Reviews are being used to create derivative products in different media - including podcasts, summaries for different stakeholders (including Cochrane Clinical Answers (formerly Cochrane PICOS)), and educational projects such as Dr Cochrane and Cochrane Journal Club. It is essential we continue to develop the quality, range, relevance, timeliness, and accessibility of 'Cochrane Content', informed by the views of its funders and users.
Strategic session themes
Products and users
Theme 1: The Cochrane Library: continuing its development as the world’s leading library of evidence
Led by Lucie Jones (ljones@cochrane.org) and Harriet MacLehose (hmaclehose@cochrane.org)
Working party: Graziella Filippini, Jordi Pardo Pardo, Nicole Skoetz, Lori Tarbett, Denise Thomson, Peter Tugwell, Taryn Young
We sought external and internal views relating to The Cochrane Library's key user groups (including how they may change in future and how we can better meet their needs), the range of databases within The Cochrane Library and how they meet our current and potential users’ needs, they way the databases interact together and how users would like them to interact, and The Cochrane Library’s design, features, and potential for customization for different user groups. Based on the consultation feedback and a review of key resources, we developed recommendations to guide the development of The Cochrane Library.
Theme 2: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews: relevance, coverage, and user and author experience
Led by Lucie Jones (ljones@cochrane.org) and Harriet MacLehose (hmaclehose@cochrane.org)
Working party: Graziella Filippini, Jordi Pardo Pardo, Nicole Skoetz, Lori Tarbett, Denise Thomson, Peter Tugwell, Taryn Young
This theme focused on relevance and coverage of the CDSR, user experience, and the experience of authors contributing to the CDSR. Consultation with external and internal stakeholders, along with a review of key resources, formed the basis of the recommendations. For relevance and coverage, we sought views on the CDSR’s key user groups and how these may change; the CDSR’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats; the priorities and needs of the intended users, and current and potential funders; the needs of non-English language users; coverage of healthcare topics; and the possibility of including other article types. For user experience, we gathered views on the visual presentation of the Cochrane Reviews and customization; and for the author experience, we focused on attracting new authors and providing a high-quality service to existing authors.
Theme 3: New formats and derivative products
Led by Lorne Becker (lornebecker@gmail.com) and Deborah Pentesco-Gilbert (dpentesc@wiley.com)
Many people become aware of Cochrane findings without reading a full Cochrane Review – through a variety of summaries, synopses, or other products that are currently available. This theme explored ways The Cochrane Collaboration could be more proactive in making key portions of our reviews accessible through new presentation formats or derivative products. The theme was informed by a number of recent joint Cochrane-Wiley initiatives. These include a project by Wiley’s Online Channel Development group that looked at new users' (clinicians, consumers and policy-makers) perceptions of The Cochrane Library; a project exploring ways that the contents of Cochrane Reviews and the Cochrane Register of Studies (CRS) could be combined and adapted using 'semantic web' techniques; and our experience in developing a number of new derivative products. Recommendations from this group will help identify core components of Cochrane Reviews for inclusion in new products, develop appropriate criteria for presenting portions of reviews in other contexts, and find processes to enable production of reviews in a way that enables their flexible use. The ultimate aim is to allow Cochrane results to have a broader impact, to reach new audiences and provide easier access for current users, and to allow the Collaboration to explore additional sales models and funding sources.
Focus on Cochrane Reviews
Theme 4: Cochrane Reviews: methodological quality and readability
Led by Toby Lasserson (tlasserson@cochrane.org)
Working party: Rachel Churchill, Nicky Cullum, Paul Garner, Julian Higgins
The working party for this theme developed recommendations relating to assuring high-quality content of Cochrane Reviews. The theme covers the way in which guidance and standards for the methodological conduct of Cochrane Reviews are implemented, and how effectively they communicate their findings to readers and users.
There were three main projects associated with this theme:
- An evaluation of the methodology used in a sample of recent Cochrane Reviews to assess the risk of bias of included studies.
- A repeat of the 2011 abstract audit for a selection of Cochrane Reviews.
- An evaluation of the readability of a sample of Cochrane Reviews.
We sought the input of experienced methodologists and Cochrane editors (projects 1 and 2) and external biomedical writers and editors (project 3).
Theme 5: Cochrane Reviews: updating
Led by Rachel Marshall (rmarshall@cochrane.org) and Ruth Foxlee (rfoxlee@cochrane.org)
Working party: Paul Garner, Sally Hopewell, Mona Nasser, Nathan Pace, Karla Soares-Weiser, Peter Tugwell
This theme developed recommendations about:
- When to update Cochrane Reviews
- How to prioritise Cochrane Review updates
- How to categorize Cochrane Reviews as being up-to-date, awaiting an update, or no longer being updated.
We continued the work conducted during the NHS engagement project, including a pilot of the decision tool developed by Sally Hopewell, Alex Sutton and Yemisi Takwoingi, and refined the prioritisation tool developed by Alicia White and colleagues at Bazian. We also worked with several Cochrane Review Groups to pilot the classification framework for Cochrane Reviews developed by the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group.
Theme 6: Cochrane Reviews: innovative reviews and methodology
Led by Jackie Chandler (jchandler@cochrane.org) and Sophie Hill (sophie.hill@latrobe.edu.au)
Working party: Mike Clarke, Simon Lewin, Dario Sambumjak, Peter Tugwell, Katrina Williams
The innovative review theme addressed types of reviews that go beyond the current ‘typical’ model of the intervention review of effectiveness. We looked at how Cochrane could respond to a need to incorporate a wider set of questions or methodologies in Cochrane Reviews, such as patient experience, cost implications, and prognosis. Cochrane has expanded its Methods Groups to address a range of specific methodological topics to help explore these new areas. This theme investigated the demand or need for these types of review (e.g. end users of reviews), the impact on those applying methods, the editorial team and central organization activity (skill sets required for editorial bases), and methodology (the methodological implications, rationale and credibility, etc) and the state of available methodological guidance.
Contacts
For more information, contact Harriet MacLehose or John Hilton at the Cochrane Editorial Unit.
Updated: 3 May 2012