3.5.2 Registration and accountability

In the early years of The Cochrane Collaboration, Methods Groups developed mainly around the desire to provide a forum for discussion, and the majority of Methods Groups were initially registered through an informal process. However, it became clear that it was important to register Methods Groups formally and to ensure that they address their responsibilities adequately. New Methods Groups are expected to register in much the same way as other Cochrane entities. That is, exploratory meetings are held, there are explicit criteria for assessing the applications for new Methods Groups (see Appendix 2: Monitoring and Registration Committee, Section A2.5 and Annex A2.A), and registration is achieved only after approval by The Cochrane Collaboration Steering Group (CCSG).

A representative of the Monitoring and Registration Committee (MaRC) should be invited to attend the exploratory meetings. If a MaRC representative cannot attend (either in person, by VOIP or by teleconference), the organisers of the exploratory meetings should ensure they discuss the registration process and a provisional agenda for the meetings with a MaRC representative in advance. The aim of MaRC involvement is to help to ensure that the meetings are as useful as possible to inform the proposed Methods Group's potential application for formal registration. There should be formal feedback to the MaRC representative, Methods Groups representative on CCSG, and Methods Executive, to ensure effective communication, which should include a person-to-person discussion (e.g. by telephone) with the MaRC representative, and circulation of the exploratory meeting's minutes to the MaRC representative.

The Methods Groups’ representative on the CCSG is responsible for assisting with the preparation of an application to register as a Methods Group, in consultation with the Methods Executive. This includes advice on the preparation of a draft module for the Group, the collection of indications of support from relevant individuals and entities within The Cochrane Collaboration, and clarity about the role of the proposed Methods Group in supporting the preparation of high quality Cochrane Reviews. When preparing an application for registration, a proposed Methods Group must decide which elective core functions they will fulfill during their first two years (Section 3.5.1). Methods Groups, like other entities, are expected to set targets against which their contribution to the aims of The Cochrane Collaboration can be measured. Their progress is monitored fully every two years, and financially on an annual basis, in order to identify potential and actual difficulties and provide support to help them achieve their objectives and meet their targets.

Methods Groups prepare and maintain modules in Archie (the Collaboration’s Information Management System) for inclusion in The Cochrane Library. These modules contain contact details and information about the scope, membership and activities of each Methods Group. Workshop reports and other documents of general interest can also be incorporated in Methods Group modules.

To date, few Methods Groups have held direct funding to support the activities they undertake and outputs they produce for the benefit of The Cochrane Collaboration. They rely on the voluntary efforts of their members and, usually, administrative and other ‘in kind’ support from the host organizations of their convenors. Each Methods Group is required to have at least two convenors and, if possible, these should be from different countries. It is the responsibility of the convenors to provide a point of contact for members of the Methods Group and for Cochrane entities that need help from the Group.

As well as organizing training workshops at the annual Cochrane Colloquia, some Methods Groups also use Colloquia as an opportunity to organize business or scientific meetings for their members and others. Furthermore, because the pressure of other meetings at the Colloquia can make it difficult to arrange meetings that last more than a few hours, Methods Groups may arrange longer meetings at other times to discuss specific issues in sufficient detail.