Here you can find and download a variety of information and support materials about developing your updated review. If you are an author of a currently published Cochrane review with our group and you have a query about updating your review please contact Sonja Henderson (sonjah@liverpool.ac.uk).
When do I need to update my currently published review?
Review authors are expected to update their reviews within two years of first publication (or the last update). However, we recommend that you revise your reviews annually if possible.
How do I go about updating my review?
(a) We will remind you about your update at 12 months and agree a date with you for the submission of your update.
Lynn Hampson, our Trials Search Co-ordinator (lynnh@liverpool.ac.uk), will run an updated search of our PCG Trials Register for you and put the search results (references) into your RevMan file and let you know when the file is ready for you to check out of Archie and prepare your review update.
In the meantime, we will release the search results in an amendment to your published review so that users of The Cochrane Library have access to information about the updated search while you are updating your review.
(b) You can prepare your review update at any time following the publication of your review by contacting Lynn Hampson (lynnh@liverpool.ac.uk) to request an updated search of our PCG Trials Register. Lynn will put the search results (references) into your RevMan file and let you know when the file is ready for you to check out of Archie to prepare your update.
How do I access my RevMan5 file to work on my updated review?
All review updates must be developed using RevMan5 and accessed through checking your RevMan file out of/into ‘Archie’, the Cochrane Collaboration’s central server for managing and storing documents and contact details. You should check out the file from within RevMan5. See the IMS web page for Cochrane authors for more information about using Archie and RevMan.
Cochrane Handbook and the Cochrane Style Guide
It is important that you read the IMS web page for Cochrane authors where you can keep up to date with author information. You will also find a link to the latest Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions which is the official document that describes in details the process of preparing and maintaining Cochrane systematic reviews. Cochrane reviews should also follow the style described in the Cochrane Style Guide. The 'Related Resources' sidebar on this page explains how you can find examples of our reviews in The Cochrane Library.
Other important resources to download
- Author’s checklist for review updates – this details the items that you should check before you electronically submit your review for editorial and peer review through Archie.
Additional information
Eligibility criteria - please remember that if a study meets your inclusion criteria for your review, but does not report on the outcomes of interest, the trial must be included (although it will not contribute any data to your review). Trial eligibility criteria are prespecified in your protocol in the sections on 'participants', 'interventions' and 'comparisions'. See section 5.1.2 of the Cochrane Handbook for more information.
