3.5.1 The role of Methods Groups

• Providing training.
• Hosting a network of CRG-based methods individuals.
• Providing peer review.
• Providing specialist advice.
• Contributing to new products or lines of activity.
• Contributing to software development.
• Conducting Cochrane Methodology Reviews.
• Contributing to the Cochrane Methodology Register.
• Helping to monitor and improve the quality of Cochrane Reviews.
• Conducting methodological research.
• Communicating Cochrane methodology to external organizations.

 Elective core functions should be selected to reflect the needs of the Collaboration and the aims, scope and resources of each Methods Group. Each Methods Group reviews its elective core functions biennially (to coincide with the biennial monitoring process - see Appendix 2 ‘Monitoring and Registration Committee’, Section A2.6 ‘Monitoring’) and the list of elective core functions adopted by each Methods Group is likely to evolve over time. If a Methods Group does not adopt a particular elective core function, this does not necessarily imply that no related activities and outputs will be produced by the Methods Group (indeed, the list of elective core functions may be used by a Methods Group to guide activities and outputs undertaken outside of applicable core functions). Rather, non-adoption of an elective core function simply means that there is no expectation or requirement to fulfil minimum expectations relating to the core function or to produce related activities and outputs.

Each of the core functions are described in more detail below. The relative importance of these core functions varies between Methods Groups, but each Methods Group is required to set targets and report on its activities and outputs against the three common core functions and its elective core functions to the Monitoring and Registration Committee (MaRC) and the Methods Executive every two years.