The Cochrane Collaboration

The Cochrane Collaboration

The reliable source of evidence in health care

Chronology of the Cochrane Collaboration

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June 2009

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR) was ranked 12 out of 107 worldwide journals in ISI Thomson's Medicine, General and Internal category for journals, with an Impact Factor of 5.182 for 2008
April 2009 28th meeting of elected Steering Group in Vedbaek, Denmark
January 2009 The total number of published Cochrane reviews and protocols reached 5,676 in Issue 1, 2009 of The Cochrane Library
October 2008 16th Cochrane Colloquium in Freiburg, Germany

27th meeting of elected Steering Group in Freiburg, Germany
July 2008 South Asian Cochrane Centre registered
June 2008 The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR) was ranked 14 out of 100 worldwide journals in ISI Thomson's Medicine, General and Internal category for journals, with an Impact Factor of 4.654 for 2007
April 2008 26th meeting of elected Steering Group in Vellore, India

Public Health Group registered
February 2008 Prognosis Methods Group registered
October 2007 15th Cochrane Colloquium in São Paulo, Brazil

25th meeting of elected Steering Group in São Paulo, Brazil
April 2007 24th meeting of elected Steering Group in Amsterdam, the Netherlands
February 2007 National access to The Cochrane Library in India
October 2006

14th Cochrane Colloquium in Dublin, Ireland

23rd meeting of elected Steering Group in Dublin, Ireland

May 2006 Childhood Cancer Group registered
April 2006 22nd meeting of elected Steering Group in Khon Kaen, Thailand
October 2005

13th Cochrane Colloquium in Melbourne, Australia

21st meeting of elected Steering Group in Melbourne, Australia

July 2005

Health Equity Field registered

The Lancet announces that, from August 2005, it will require authors submitting manuscripts reporting clinical trials to include a clear summary of previous research findings, ideally by direct reference to a systematic review

March/April 2005
20th meeting of elected Steering Group in Providence, USA
January 2005 National access to The Cochrane Library in Sweden
October 2004 12th Cochrane Colloquium in Ottawa, Canada

19th meeting of elected Steering Group in Ottawa, Canada
July 2004 The total number of published Cochrane reviews reached 2,000 in Issue 3, 2004 of The Cochrane Library
29 February - 2 March 2004

18th meeting of elected Steering Group in Bergamo, Italy
January 2004 The Cochrane Collaboration was awarded the 2004 Premio Homenot Internacional de la Sanidad for excellence in healthcare research at an Awards Ceremony in the Palau de la Musica Catalana in Barcelona, Spain. The ceremony was attended by both the Spanish and the Catalonian Ministers of Health. Previous winners of this prestigious award include BMJ and the Harvard School of Public Health. In her speech, Sra Ana Pastor, Minister of Health for Spain, praised The Cochrane Collaboration "for its magnificent work and contributions by performing systematic reviews of health interventions and facilitating the accessibility of these to health professionals and to citizens". In his speech of acknowledgement on behalf of all recipients of awards at the ceremony, Dr Felipe Sánchez de la Cuesta, pharmacologist and winner of the Homenot Nacional award for 2003, remarked "we will never be grateful enough to The Cochrane Collaboration for its efforts and initiatives in promoting evidence-based medicine"
December 2003

National access to The Cochrane Library in Denmark
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

 

 

 

 

 

8th meeting of elected Steering Group in Freiburg, Germany
1972 Publication of Archie Cochrane's 'Effectiveness and Efficiency: random reflections on health services' , which drew attention to our collective ignorance about the effects of health care
1974 Identification of controlled trials in perinatal medicine begins in Cardiff, Wales, UK
1976 Outline plans drafted in Cardiff, Wales, UK for systematic reviews of controlled trials in perinatal medicine
1978 World Health Organisation and English Department of Health fund work at National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, Oxford, UK to assemble a register of controlled trials in perinatal medicine
1979 Archie Cochrane publishes an essay in which he suggests that "It is surely a great criticism of our profession that we have not organised a critical summary, by specialty or subspecialty, adapted periodically, of all relevant randomised controlled trials." He also designates obstetrics the least scientific medical specialty!
1985 Publication of classified bibliography of 3500 reports of controlled trials in perinatal medicine published between 1940 and 1984
US Public Health Service and English Department of Health fund work in Oxford and Baltimore to identify unpublished controlled trials in perinatal medicine and to investigate publication bias
1985-90 International collaboration to prepare systematic reviews of controlled trials in pregnancy and childbirth and the neonatal period
1989 Output of collaborative work begins with publication of: 'Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth (ECPC)',
'A Guide to Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth (GECPC)',
and
'The Oxford Database of Perinatal Trials (ODPT)'
1992 Publication of 'Effective Care of the Newborn Infant (ECNI)'
1989-92 Maintenance of systematic reviews of controlled trials of perinatal care in 6-monthly disk issues of an electronic journal, 'The Oxford Database of Perinatal Trials (ODPT)'
Feb 1992 Encouraged by the reception given to the systematic reviews of care during pregnancy and childbirth, Michael Peckham, first Director of Research & Development in the British National Health Service, approves funding for 'a Cochrane Centre' 'to facilitate the preparation of systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials of health care'
Oct 1992 'The Cochrane Centre' opens in Oxford, UK
Pregnancy and Childbirth Group registered
Subfertility Group registered
Nov 1992 Additional funds to promote the mission of the Cochrane Centre pledged by the Nuffield Provincial Hospitals Trust and the Swedish Council on Technology Assessment in Health Care
Mar 1993 Neonatal Group registered
Apr 1993 Update Software reissues 'The Oxford Database of Perinatal Trials (ODPT)' as a redesigned pilot electronic journal entitled 'The Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Database (CCPC)'
Mar 1993 First Cochrane Centre renamed 'The UK Cochrane Centre'
Concept of The Cochrane Collaboration presented at a conference ('Doing more Good than Harm') organised by Kenneth Warren and Frederic Mosteller at the New York Academy of Sciences
June 1993 Development of Cochrane Collaboration Handbook begins with arrival of 1st Cochrane Visiting Fellow at the UK Cochrane Centre
Aug 1993 Stroke Group registered
Canadian Cochrane Centre registered
Oct 1993 Formal launch of The Cochrane Collaboration at the 1st Cochrane Colloquium, in Oxford, UK
Cochrane Collaboration Steering Group nominated and appointed by participants at the 1st Colloquium
Nordic Cochrane Centre registered
Baltimore Cochrane Centre registered (changed to New England Cochrane Center at Providence and subsequently to United States Cochrane Center in December 2002)
Collaboration in Primary Health Care Field registered (changed to Primary Health Care Field in August 2004)
Nov 1993 Musculoskeletal Group registered
Dec 1993 Funds awarded by the European Union to the Cochrane Centres in Europe 'to identify reports of controlled trials in general health care journals in Europe'
US National Library of Medicine agrees to improve the identification of controlled trials by re tagging MEDLINE records using information provided by The Cochrane Collaboration
Feb 1994 1st meeting of Cochrane Collaboration Steering Group, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Australasian Cochrane Centre registered
May 1994 Publication of Cochrane Collaboration Handbook
Release of Version 1 of Review Manager (RevMan) software
Infectious Diseases Group registered
June 1994 Centro Cochrane Italiano (Italian Cochrane Centre) registered
Oral Health Group registered
Schizophrenia Group registered
July 1994 Effective Professional Practice Group registered (changed to Effective Practice & Organisation of Care in March 1998)
Aug 1994 Acute Respiratory Infections Group registered
Oct 1994 2nd Cochrane Colloquium, Hamilton, Canada
2nd meeting of Steering Group, Hamilton, Canada
First public demonstration of The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, designed by Update Software
Dutch Cochrane Centre registered
Peripheral Vascular Disease Group registered
Nov 1994 Diabetes Group registered
San Francisco Cochrane Centre registered (changed to United States Cochrane Center, San Francisco Branch in December 2002)
Dec 1994 Empirical Methodological Studies Methods Group registered
Informatics Methods Group registered
Statistics and Quality of RCT's Methods Group registered
Individual Patient Data Meta-analyses Methods Group registered
Feb 1995 Software Development Group established
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Group registered (changed to Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Functional Bowel Disorders Group in April 2005)
Apr 1995 The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews launched in London by the English Minister for Health
San Antonio Cochrane Centre registered
Wounds Group registered
Article in The Lancet suggests that "The Cochrane Collaboration is an enterprise that rivals the Human Genome Project in its potential implications for modern medicine"
May 1995 Cochrane Collaboration registered as a Company and a Charity under English law
July 1995 Airways Group registered
Coding and Classification Methods Group registered
Aug 1995 Tobacco Addiction Group registered
Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Group registered (changed to Dementia & Cognitive Improvement in May 2000)
Menstrual Disorders Group registered
Screening and Diagnostic Tests Methods Group registered
Sept 1995 Cystic Fibrosis Group registered
Oct 1995 3rd Cochrane Colloquium in Oslo, Norway
3rd meeting of Steering Group in Oslo, Norway
Consumer Network registered
Nov 1995 Elections for new Steering Group
Funds awarded to the Collaboration by the European Union for 'coordinating and extending the preparation, maintenance and dissemination of systematic reviews of health care within The Cochrane Collaboration in Europe'
UK Higher Education Funding Councils list systematic reviews (of the Cochrane type) among the quality criteria for the 1996 Research Assessment exercise
Jan 1996 Health Promotion Field registered
Feb 1996 Last meeting of first Steering Group and 1st meeting of elected Steering Group in San Francisco, USA
Centre Cochrane Français (French Cochrane Centre) registered
Mar 1996 Hepato-Biliary Group registered
Trials Registers Development Group initiated
Apr 1996 The Cochrane Library launched by Update Software as a quarterly publication on CD-ROM and disk, incorporating The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, The Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness, The Cochrane Controlled Trials Register and The Cochrane Review Methodology Database
Rehabilitation and Related Therapies Field registered
Health Care of Older People Field registered
May 1996 New England Cochrane Centre registered
Hypertension Group registered
June 1996 Movement Disorders Group registered
Depression, Anxiety and Neurosis Group registered
Incontinence Group registered
Complementary Medicine Field registered
President of the Royal Statistical Society proposes 'analogues' of The Cochrane Collaboration to assess the effects of social and educational interventions, and thus improve the quality of public debate on these issues as well as on health care
July 1996 Vaccines Field registered
Aug 1996 Strategic Planning Meeting in Oslo, Norway; 2nd meeting of elected Steering Group
Centro Cochrane do Brasil (Brazilian Cochrane Centre) registered
Placebo Effects Methods Group registered
Sept 1996 The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews available on the World Wide Web
Epilepsy Group registered
Breast Cancer Group registered
Oct 1996 4th Cochrane Colloquium in Adelaide, Australia
3rd meeting of elected Steering Group in Adelaide, Australia
South African Cochrane Centre registered
Nov 1996 Gynaecological Cancer Group registered
Schering Health Care Ltd. provides The Cochrane Collaboration with information about all the company's ongoing trials
Dec 1996 Prostatic Diseases and Urologic Cancers Group registered
Jan 1997 Cochrane Collaboration and Update Software sign Special Agreement
Applicability and Recommendations Methods Group registered
Feb 1997 4th meeting of elected Steering Group, San Francisco, USA
Injuries Group registered
Mar 1997 'Random Reflections on Health Services Research' published to mark the 25th anniversary of Cochrane's 'Effectiveness and Efficiency'
Renal Group registered
Apr 1997 Electronic Comments and Criticisms System launched within The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
Eyes and Vision Group registered
June 1997 Fertility Regulation Group registered
Cancer Network registered
Sept 1997 Research presented showing that Cochrane Reviews are methodologically superior to and less subject to publication bias than reviews published in the major print journals
Oct 1997 5th Cochrane Colloquium in Amsterdam, The Netherlands (in association with the 2nd meeting on the 'Scientific Basis of Health Services')
5th meeting of elected Steering Group in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Centro Cochrane Español (Spanish Cochrane Centre) registered (name changed to Iberoamerican Cochrane Centre in July 2000)
Deutsches Cochrane Zentrum (German Cochrane Centre) registered
Consumers and Communication Group registered
Nov 1997 GlaxoWellcome announces intention to register prospectively all the company's ongoing trials through The Cochrane Collaboration
Dec 1997 Multiple Sclerosis Group registered
Skin Group registered
Increasing acknowledgements that The Cochrane Library is the best single source of evidence about the effects of health care, and that The Cochrane Controlled Trials Register is the most comprehensive register of controlled trials available
Jan 1998 Drugs and Alcohol Group registered
Pain, Palliative and Supportive Care Group registered
Colorectal Cancer Group registered
Feb 1998 6th meeting of elected Steering Group, Cape Town, South Africa
Mar 1998 Developmental, Psychosocial and Learning Problems Group registered
HIV/AIDS Group registered
Neuromuscular Diseases Group registered
Reprint of Cochrane's 'Effectiveness and Efficiency' with an introduction and forward by the directors of the Australasian and UK Cochrane Centres respectively
June 1998 Upper Gastrointestinal & Pancreatic Diseases Group registered
Academy of UK Medical Royal Colleges officially recognises systematic reviews as academically important research
July 1998

Heart Group registered

Musculoskeletal Injuries Group registered (changed to Bone, Joint and Muscle Trauma Group in April 2005)
Sept 1998 Lung Cancer Group registered
Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders Group registered
Health Economics Methods Group registered (changed to Economics Methods Group in July 2005)
Oct 1998 6th Cochrane Colloquium in Baltimore, USA
7th meeting of elected Steering Group in Baltimore, USA
Collaboration Trading Company Limited registered under English law
Nov 1998 Sexually Transmitted Diseases Group registered
Dec 1998 Back Group registered
Jan 1999 The BMJ adopted the policy of accepting submissions of reviews already on The Cochrane Library (BMJ 1999;318:142)
Mar 1999 Chinese Cochrane Centre registered
May 1999 Prospective Meta-analysis Methods Group registered
July 1999 July 1999 Exploratory meeting at the School of Public Policy, University College London decides to establish the Campbell Collaboration - a sibling collaboration to The Cochrane Collaboration - to prepare, maintain and disseminate systematic reviews of social and educational interventions (see http://www.ucl.ac.uk/spp/publications/campbell.htm)
Oct 1999 7th Cochrane Colloquium in Rome, Italy
9th meeting of elected Steering Group in Rome, Italy
First discussions held about establishing joint Cochrane-Campbell Methods Groups
Nov 1999 Non-Randomised Studies Methods Group registered
Feb 2000 Child Health Field registered
Anaesthesia Group registered
Metabolic and Endocrine Disorders Group registered
British Secretary of State for Education and Employment announces the establishment of a new Centre for Evidence-informed Policy and Practice to "build on the very successful Cochrane Collaboration in health care research", drawing attention to the quality control of systematic reviews "being pioneered through The Cochrane Collaboration initiative and the proposed Campbell Collaboration".
Inaugural meeting of the Campbell Collaboration convened by Robert Boruch at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (see http://www.campbellcollaboration.com/)
Mar 2000 Neurological Network registered
10th meeting of elected Steering Group in San Antonio, Texas, USA
Jul 2000 San Antonio Cochrane Centre closed
Oct 2000 Hematological Malignancies Group registered
8th Cochrane Colloquium in Cape Town, South Africa
11th meeting of elected Steering Group in Cape Town, South Africa
Nov 2000 Information Retrieval Methods Group disbanded
Informatics Methods Group disbanded
Jan 2001 One thousandth Cochrane review published in The Cochrane Library
Feb 2001 Reporting Bias Methods Group registered
12th meeting of elected Steering Group in Sao Paulo,Brazil
May 2001 Health-Related Quality of Life Methods Group registered (changed to Patient Reported Outcomes Methods Group in March 2005)
Jun 2001 The Lancet adopted the policy of accepting submissions of reviews already on The Cochrane Library (Lancet 2001;359:1729)
Oct 2001 9th Cochrane Colloquium in Lyon, France
13th meeting of elected Steering Group in Lyon, France
Nov 2001 Placebo Methods Group disbanded
Dec 2001 Chris Silagy, former Chair of the Steering Group, died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
'Informing Judgment: Case studies of health policy and research in six countries', co-published with the Milbank Memorial Fund, 2001, 200 pages
Jan 2002 The South African Medical Journal adopted a policy (similar to The Lancet in June 2001) of co-publication of Cochrane Reviews (SAMJ 2002;92(1):1)
The Cochrane Library was made free at the point of use to anyone with Internet access on the island of Ireland (the first country-wide access to The Cochrane Library)
Feb 2002 At the launch of island of Ireland access, Ms Bairbre de Brún (Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Northern Ireland) said, "This is a very welcome and important development. Making quality health information available to the general public in an easily accessible way is a key priority". Micheál Martin (Minister for Health and Children, Ireland) said, "Anyone on the island of Ireland with access to the Internet will now be able to use what is regarded as the world's best single source of evidence on the effects of different forms of health care".
Mar 2002 The Cochrane Library was made free at the point of use to anyone with Internet access in Finland and Norway
Special issue of 'Evaluation and the Health Professions' published on The Cochrane Collaboration
Apr 2002 14th meeting of elected Steering Group in Chengdu, China
The Cochrane Library was made free at the point of use to anyone with Internet access in England (via the National Electronic Library for Health - NeLH)
The Cochrane Library was made free at the point of use for access under the HINARI scheme for developing countries
July/Aug 2002 10th Cochrane Colloquium in Stavanger, Norway
15th meeting of elected Steering Group in Stavanger, Norway
Sept 2002 Closure of French Cochrane Centre
Oct 2002 The Cochrane Library was made free at the point of use to anyone with Internet access in Australia
March 2003 New publishing agreement signed between The Cochrane Collaboration and John Wiley and Sons Limited
16th meeting of elected Steering Group in Melbourne, Australia
The Methodology Review Group changed from being a Methods Group to a Collaborative Review Group, becoming The Cochrane Collaboration's fiftieth Collaborative Review Group
April 2003 Chief Executive Officer appointed to The Cochrane Collaboration
June 2003 The total number of published Cochrane protocols and reviews reached 3,000.
Oct 2003 11th Cochrane Colloquium in Barcelona, Spain
17th meeting of elected Steering Group in Barcelona, Spain
Launch of Cochrane Library Plus en espanol
 
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

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