The Cochrane Collaboration

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Cochrane entities

The Cochrane Collaboration has a special organizational structure to meet the needs of producing high quality information.

Cochrane Centres coordinate activities, primarily in language-defined regions,
and are the main contact point for the public.
Cochrane Review Groups produce Cochrane Reviews in specific medical topic areas.

Other organizational entities:

The Steering Group sets policy for the organization, using input from its subgroups.
The Secretariat administers policy for the Steering Group, its sub- and advisory groups, and also handles all administration relevant to the running of these groups.
The Editorial Unit works to ensure the consistent application of Cochrane editorial policy and quality standards in Cochrane publications.
Methods Groups provide advice and support to the Collaboration in the development of the methods of systematic reviews.
Fields/Networks identify health issues of importance to specific populations and/or intervention types, and facilitate reviews across the relevant review groups.
The Consumer Network works to ensure that the perspective and needs of consumers are incorporated into Cochrane systematic reviews.
The Ombudsmen and Publication Arbiters help to reach agreement and resolve areas of conflict.
The Funding Arbiter helps resolve questions relevant to the funding of Cochrane entities or reviews.

Cochrane Collaboration Steering Group (CCSG), Sub-groups, and Secretariat

The CCSG is elected to develop policies and strategies for the Collaboration. It has several sub-groups responsible for specific tasks. The Steering Group is supported by the Collaboration Secretariat.

See also:

Cochrane Collaboration Steering Group (CCSG) members
Co-Chairs: Lorne Becker, Jonathan Craig
Author Representative(s): Donna Gillies
Centre Representative(s): Steve McDonald, Mary Ellen Schaafsma
Lisa Bero, Rob Scholten
Consumer Network Representative: Liz Whamond, Mingming Zhang
Co-ordinating Editor Representative: Sophie Hill, Roger Soll
Fields Representative: Katrina Williams
Methods Group Representative: Julian Higgins
Review Group Representative:Zbys Fedorowicz, Johannes van der Wouden
RGC Representative: Sonja Henderson
TSC Representative: Gail Higgins

Collaboration Secretariat
Administrator and company secretary: Jini Hetherington
Chief Executive Officer: Nick Royle
Deputy Administrator: Claire Allen
Treasurer: Donna Gillies

Sub-groups of the Steering Group
Executive's Convenor: Jonathan Craig
Monitoring and Registration Group's Convenors: Karen New, Johannes van der Wouden
Publishing Policy Group's Convenor: Lorne Becker

Advisory groups to the Steering Group
Cochrane Library Users' Group's Convenor: Emma Irvin
Colloquium Policy Advisory Group's Convenors: Steve McDonald, Jordi Pardo Pardo
Feedback Management Advisory Group's Convenor: John Carlisle
Handbook Advisory Group's Convenors: Sally Green, Julian Higgins
Information Management System Group's Convenor: David Tovey

For a full list of members of Sub- and Advisory Groups refer to this page

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Editorial Unit

The Cochrane Editorial Unit aims to ensure that The Cochrane Library maintains its reputation as the international source of trustworthy, independent and relevant information to guide healthcare decisions. We are working to support Cochrane Review Groups and other entities to ensure that The Cochrane Library continues to meet the varied needs of users, and appropriately reflects the commitment of Cochrane Review Group teams and authors.

Editor in Chief: David Tovey
PA to the Editor in Chief: Hilary Wilson
Business Manager: Giovanna Ceroni
Scientific Editor: Toby Lasserson
Senior Editor: Harriet MacLehose

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Ombudsmen and Publication Arbiters

The role of the Ombudsmen is to help resolve areas of conflict that arise between people or entities within The Cochrane Collaboration, for which the usual process of involving the Directors of the reference Cochrane Centre(s) has not been sufficient. Chris Silagy was appointed the first Ombudsman in October 1998. Gill Gyte became the second Ombudsman in October 2000, sharing the role with Chris Silagy until his death in December 2001. In August 2002 Peter Langhorne took on this role, sharing it with Gill Gyte. Gill Gyte stepped down in October 2005, and Kathie Clark became the fourth Ombudsman, sharing the role with Peter Langhorne.

The role of the Publication Arbiters is to help people to reach a mutually acceptable agreement in areas of dispute between the editorial teams of Cochrane Review Groups (e.g. of the appropriate home for a specific Cochrane review), and between review authors and their editorial team (e.g. when review authors are unwilling to make changes suggested by the editors).

The role of the Publication Arbiters relates specifically to the publication of Cochrane reviews, whereas the role of the Ombudsmen is to help with disputes and conflict more generally. For job descriptions of these two special roles, see The Cochrane Manual.

Current Ombudsmen: Kathie Clark, Peter Langhorne

Current Publication Arbiters: Richard Nelson, Kay Dickersin

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Funding Arbiter

The role of the Funding Arbiter is to help resolve situations where funding for Cochrane entities is believed to contravene the Cochrane Collaboration's policy on commercial sponsorship. Referrals may also be made by those seeking advice on interpretation of this policy.

The Funding Arbiter is appointed by the Steering Group from among its membership, and convenes the Funding Arbitration Panel, which includes three members in addition to the Funding Arbiter. The current members of the Funding Arbitration Panel are:

Lisa Bero, Funding Arbiter, San Francisco branch of the US Cochrane Center
Joaquin Barnoya, Cardiovascular Unit of Guatemala
Cindy Farquhar, Menstrual Disorders and Subfertility Group
Alessandro Liberati, Italian Cochrane Centre

For complete information on the Funding Arbiter, the Funding Arbitration Panel and the arbitration process, please see The Cochrane Policy Manual.

For information on referring matters to the Funding Arbiter, see the Funding Arbiter referral page.

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Cochrane Review Groups (CRGs)

Review Groups are composed of persons from around the world who share an interest in developing and maintaining systematic reviews relevant to a particular health area. Groups are coordinated by an editorial team who edit and assemble completed reviews into modules for inclusion in The Cochrane Library [more information].

Click on the name of the group for contact details.

Can't find the CRG you are looking for? Try the entity name changes page to see if the CRG name has changed.

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Methods Groups (MGs)

Methods Groups are composed of individuals with an interest and expertise in the science of systematic reviews. They provide advice and support to the Collaboration in the development of the methods of systematic reviews.[more information]

Click on the name of the group for contact details.

Fields/Networks

Fields/Networks emerge around areas of interest which extend across a number of health problems. For example, a field coordinator in child health would identify health issues of importance to children and facilitate reviews across the relevant review groups in the interests of this population. [more information]

Click on the name of the group for contact details.

Can't find the Field/Network you are looking for? Try the entity name changes page to see if the Field/Network name has changed.

Behavioral Medicine Field (website)
Cancer Network
Child Health Field (website)
Complementary Medicine Field (website)
Consumer Network (website)
Developing Countries Network (website)
Diet and nutrition subfield of the Cochrane Primary Health Care Field
Health Care of Older People Field (website)
Health Equity Field (website)
Neurological Network (website)
Nursing Care Network (website)
Occupational Health Field (website)
Prehospital and Emergency Health Field
Primary Health Care Field (website)
Rehabilitation and Related Therapies Field (website)
Vaccines Field
Health promotion & Public Health Field: deregistered. Please refer to the Public Health Group

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Cochrane Centres

[click map to enlarge]

The work of Cochrane Review Groups, Methods Groups, Fields/Networks and the Consumer Network is facilitated in a variety of ways by the work of a dozen Cochrane Centres around the world. They share responsibility for helping to co-ordinate and support members of the Collaboration in areas such as training, and they promote the objectives of the Collaboration at national level. [more information]

Not listed here? The country list indicates the reference Cochrane centre for other countries.
Click on the links below for contact details.

You may also wish to try the entity name changes page to find if the Centre name has changed.

Australasian Cochrane Centre (website)

New Zealand Branch of the Australasian Cochrane Centre (website)

Singapore Branch of the Australasian Cochrane Centre (website)

Thai Cochrane Network of the Australasian Cochrane Centre (website)

Brazilian Cochrane Centre (website)
Canadian Cochrane Centre (website)

Francophone Network of the Canadian Cochrane Centre

Chinese Cochrane Centre (website)

Hong Kong Branch of the Chinese Cochrane Centre (website)

Dutch Cochrane Centre (website)

Belgian Branch of the Dutch Cochrane Centre (website)

German Cochrane Centre (website)
Iberoamerican Cochrane Centre (website)

Venezuelan Branch of the Iberoamerican Cochrane Centre (website)

Italian Cochrane Centre (website)

Croatian Branch of the Italian Cochrane Centre (website)

Nordic Cochrane Centre (website)

Finnish branch of the Nordic Cochrane Centre (website)

Norwegian branch of the Nordic Cochrane Centre (website)

South African Cochrane Centre (website)

Nigerian Branch of the South African Cochrane Centre (website)

South Asian Cochrane Centre (website)
UK Cochrane Centre (website)

Bahrain Branch of the UK Cochrane Centre (website)

US Cochrane Center (website)

San Francisco Branch of the US Cochrane Center (website)

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Comments for improvement or correction are welcome.
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