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.
• 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.
• Ombudsmen and Publication Arbiter help to reach agreement and resolve areas of conflict.
• The Funding Arbiter helps resolve questions relevant to the funding of Cochrane entities or reviews.

Entities in the process of forming:

• Possible new entities

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:

• Electing representatives to the CCSG
• The structure, remit and membership of groups
  accountable to the Steering Group (HTML) (PDF) (Word)
• Who's who: Pictures of the current Steering Group
  

Cochrane Collaboration Steering Group (CCSG) members

Collaboration Secretariat

Sub-groups of the Steering Group

Advisory groups to the Steering Group


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Ombudsmen and Publication Arbiter

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. The role of the Publication Arbiter 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 Publication Arbiter does not replace The Cochrane Collaboration's Ombudsmen: the role of the Publication Arbiter relates specifically to the publication of Cochrane reviews, whereas the role of the Ombudsmen is to help with disputes and conflict more generally.

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.

Current Ombudsmen: Kathie Clark and Peter Langhorne
Current Publication Arbiters: David Henderson-Smart and 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 current Cochrane Collaboration policy on commercial sponsorship. Referrals may also be made by those seeking advice on interpretation of the current commercial sponsorship policy.

The Funding Arbiter is appointed by the CCSG 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 Section 1.5.8 of the Cochrane 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.

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


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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.


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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.

Possible new entities