CCInfo: Electronic news bulletin of The Cochrane Collaboration 6 March 2008 Contents: A. Cochrane Colloquium Freiburg - AGM, Workshops, Abstracts deadline B. Trial Search Co-ordinator User Guide C. Evaluating Evidence Aid – Request for Participants D. Forthcoming TSC Vacancy with Cochrane Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders Group E. Job ad - Knowledge broker, CCNC F. Job ad - Scientist, WHO Guidelines Review Committee G. Job Ad – Project Manager, International Clinical Trials Registry Platform H. Methods for Evaluating Medical Tests Symposium 2008 - Call for Abstracts I. Next Issue of CCInfo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX A. Sender: Bärbel Schätzle [schaetzle@cochrane.de] Subject: Cochrane Colloquium Freiburg – Important dates We announce some major items on the Colloquium website: Workshops: you can now submit an abstract for workshops by using the online form. *Please keep in mind that the abstract submission deadline is on 17 March (Abstracts for oral sessions, posters and workshops). Next important deadline: 28th of April is the deadline for consumers and developing country stipends applications. Annual General Meeting (AGM): Please complete the online form to designate your entity's representative to attend the AGM. For further information please visit the Colloquium website: www.cochrane.de/colloquium XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX B. Sender: Ruth Foxlee [rf518@york.ac.uk] Subject: Trial Search Co-ordinator User Guide A TSC User Guide to Managing Specialized Registers & Handsearch Records has been developed to help Trials Search Co-ordinators (TSCs) develop, maintain and submit their entity's Specialized Register to the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). The document offers comprehensive guidance on the fields that should be used in each Specialized Register and handsearch file and describes the content of those fields. It replaces the CENTRAL Management Plan. All TSCs have access to the guide through the "CENTRAL forum" folder on Archie. It is also available on the TSC and handsearching resources page - http://cochrane.org/resources/hsearch.htm XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX C. Sender: Tari Turner [tari.turner@med.monash.edu.au] Subject: Evaluating Evidence Aid – Request for Participants Evidence Aid (http://www.cochrane.org/evidenceaid/) was The Cochrane Collaboration’s response to the December 2004 tsunami. Designed to provide reliable, relevant, accessible evidence to clinicians and aid workers in crisis settings, the Evidence Aid website has been used in many subsequent disaster situations. In this study we are talking to current and past users of Evidence Aid to identify the strengths, weaknesses and potential for future development of the Evidence Aid project. The results will help us to further develop and refine Evidence Aid to provide clinicians and aid workers in crisis settings with the best possible access to health research information. If you work for an organisation that provides aid in crisis settings and you have used Evidence Aid in the past we would love to talk to you. If you would like to be involved or want further information about the study, please contact Tari Turner at the Australasian Cochrane Centre on +61 3 9594 7568 or tari.turner@med.monash.edu.au. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX D. Sender: Ian Chamberlain [ichamberlain@COCHRANE-ENT.ORG] Subject: Forthcoming TSC Vacancy with Cochrane Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders Group Our Trials Seach Co-ordinator, Carolyn Dorée, has recently decided to move on from her post with the Cochrane ENT Disorders Group here in Oxford to pursue other avenues. Needless to say this represents a great loss to our Group. Carolyn has been with the ENT Disorders Group for some years and so we would like to thank her warmly for both her work for the Group and contribution to the Collaboration as a whole. Further to this, we are preparing to seek and recruit a suitable replacement. An advert is in preparation, and we will send out notification of this via CCInfo and the usual routes in due course. Meanwhile, informal enquiries are of course welcome by email, telephone, by letter or in person to myself. We are based at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, and our CRG website is www.cochrane-ent.org. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX E. Sender: Cheryl Arratoon [cochrane@uottawa.ca] Subject: Job ad - Knowledge broker, CCNC Organisation: Canadian Cochrane Network and Centre (CCNC) Location: Ottawa, Canada Application deadline: 14 March 2008 Details: The CCNC is pleased to be expanding its knowledge brokering activities. The Knowledge Broker will develop partnerships and collaborate with key health professional groups in Canada to initiate ways to develop and implement knowledge translation strategies to increase the awareness, use and application of Cochrane reviews. Contact: For more details please contact Lisa McGovern; lmcgover@uottawa.ca XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX F. Sender: Davina Ghersi [ghersid@who.int] Subject: Job ad - Scientist, WHO Guidelines Review Committee Position: Scientist (P5), WHO Guidelines Review Committee, full-time Organisation: Department of Research Policy and Cooperation, World Health Organization Location: Geneva, Switzerland Application deadline: 31st March 2008 Details: The Scientist provides leadership and manages the WHO Guidelines Review Committee (GRC) and other relevant practice guideline related activities. As the organization's authority on guideline development and implementation the incumbent will provide technical support to WHO committees, departments and professionals on the methods of producing WHO guidelines and policy recommendations. Duties include: developing short/long term strategies for the GRC with relevant internal and external stakeholders; strengthen WHO's leadership regarding the conduct and implementation of WHO guidelines; strengthen WHO's capacity to create evidence-based guidelines that conform with internationally recognized standards. For more information go to https://erecruit.who.int/public/hrd-cl-vac-view.asp?jobinfo_uid_c=19042&vaclng=en, vacancy notice HQ/08/IER/FT175. Contact: Davina Ghersi (ghersid@who.int) or Sue Hill (hills@who.int) XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX G. Sender: Davina Ghersi [ghersid@who.int] Subject: Job Ad – Project Manager, International Clinical Trials Registry Platform Position: Project Manager, International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) Organisation: Department of Research Policy and Cooperation, World Health Organization Location: Geneva, Switzerland Application deadline: 17th March 2008 Details: The post holder will provide technical support to the ICTRP Coordinator and manage the activities of the WHO Registry Network; ensure effective communication across and between individual registries and the ICTRP Secretariat; and facilitate communication with the various stakeholders in clinical trial registration, including ethics committees. They will also work with the ICTRP Coordinator to support countries and other entities establishing new registration systems, or developing and maintaining existing registration systems. For more information go to www.who.int/employment/vacancies/en/ and look for vacancy notice HQ/08/IER/TA87 Contact: Davina Ghersi (ghersid@who.int) XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX H. Sender: Jon Deeks [j.deeks@bham.ac.uk] Subject: Methods for Evaluating Medical Tests Symposium 2008 - Call for Abstracts Host: Diagnostic Research Group in the Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, University of Birmingham jointly with the Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, Oxford Date: 24-25 July 2008 Location: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Birmingham, UK Details: The design, execution, analysis, reporting and implementation of evaluations of medical tests present unique methodological challenges, which are currently the subject of research and development. This two-day conference presents an opportunity to debate practice, methodological issues and current/recent research in the field of medical tests. Themes for 2008: 1. Methodological Issues in studies of test accuracy 2. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of diagnostic tests 3. Monitoring, prognosis and other purposes of tests 4. Evaluating impacts of tests on patients and resources 5. Applying evaluations in practice Contact: Please visit the conference website for registration forms and further information: www.medical-test-res.bham.ac.uk/symposium2008 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX I. Sender: Cheryl Arratoon [cochrane@uottawa.ca] Subject: Next Issue of CCInfo The next issue of CCInfo will be published 20 March 2008. Please submit your items to cochrane@uottawa.ca and include "CCInfo" in the subject line. Unless you request otherwise, your submissions to the CCInfo may be duplicated in other regular Cochrane Collaboration news channels such as Cochrane News and the Cochrane Collaboration web site, at the discretion of the editors. regards, Cheryl Arratoon Knowledge Broker Canadian Cochrane Network and Centre 1 Stewart St, 2nd Floor Ottawa, ON, Canada K1N 6N5 Email: cochrane@uottawa.ca Web: www.ccnc.cochrane.org XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX To subscribe to or unsubscribe from the CCInfo list, please go to http://lists.cochrane.org/mailman/listinfo/ccinfo, or contact the Editor at cochrane@uottawa.ca