There are a wide range of resources available to our authors who are undertaking a systematic review with our group and we strongly recommend that authors make full use of these. 

Please use the Cochrane software RevMan when writing your review. The recommended version is RevMan Web which has an accompanying knowledge base to answer your questions. The desktop version, RevMan 5, is still available to download from here.

Cochrane face-to-face training

Ideally all authors would be able to attend face-to-face workshops to gain advice on how to write a Cochrane Systematic Review and learn how to use the Cochrane software Review Manager. Authors who are interested in face-to-face training should contact their relevant Cochrane Centres or Review Groups about local workshops and courses in review production. Some of these events are listed on the Cochrane workshops page.

*Face-to-face training has been suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but some online training and webinars are being held. See here for details.*

We realise that attendance at workshops is not always possible, so we have put together a list of online resources to help you with writing your review.

Cochrane-specific online resources

• Accessing your review - how to check reviews in and out of Archie and RevMan
• Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions - the official guide to producing Cochrane reviews
• A separate DTA Handbook is available for diagnostic test accuracy reviews and further help is available from the Cochrane Diagnostic Test Accuracy Group
• MECIR - the Cochrane Editorial Unit have developed standards for the methodological expectations for Cochrane Protocols, Reviews, and updates of reviews on the effects of interventions.These provide authors and users of the Cochrane Library with clear and transparent expectations of review conduct and reporting
• RevMan Web page - documentation and support for software for preparing and maintaining Cochrane reviews
• GRADEpro - (GRADEprofiler) is the software used to create Summary of Findings (SoF) tables in Cochrane systematic reviews
• Cochrane Style Resource - compare your Cochrane Review against the official style guide
• Online learning - learning resources relevant to systematic reviews and evidence-based medicine

CFGD Group-specific online resources

We have developed a number of guidelines to help our authors at various stages of the editorial process which can be accessed below.

• Data extraction form – a generic study selection and data extraction form which can be adapted to suit each individual review
• Guidelines for contacting original investigators – template letter for contacting trial investigators for additional information
• Guidelines for contacting pharmaceutical companies – template letter for contacting pharmaceutical companies for additional information
• General guidelines for the generic inverse variance method of analysis
• Using the generic inverse variance method with binary data -to help you decide if you should use this method of analysis for binary data
• Using the generic inverse variance method with continuous data – to help you decide if you should use this method of analysis for continuous data
• Using the generic inverse variance method for data from cross-over trials – to help you decide if you should use this method of analysis for data from cross-over trials
• Guidance for analysing count and rate data
• Submission checklist (protocols)
• Submission checklist (reviews)
• Submission checklist (updates)

General reporting guidelines

There are a number of non-Cochrane specific resources looking at reporting evidence, systematic reviews and evidence-based medicine and which may also be helpful.

• CONSORT - reporting of RCTs
• PRISMA (formerly QUOROM) [PDF document] - preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses
• STROBE - reporting of observational studies in epidemiology
• EQUATOR Network - collection of reporting guidelines
• NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination 
• Bandolier - Evidence-Based Healthcare