Annex 2.1.8.A - checklist for assessing applications for endorsement

Criteria 

Is the criterion met?

Yes

No

Unclear

1. Policy:  Does the requested endorsement breach any point of The Cochrane Collaboration’s policy for endorsement (1.1 to 1.7 below)? 

1.1  Endorsements and expressions of support, including affiliations (‘endorsements’), may serve the best interests of The Cochrane Collaboration and its members where the aims of the activities or organisations to be endorsed are aligned with The Cochrane Collaboration’s aims and purposes; and as such endorsements may be sought for such activities and organisations.

1.2  Endorsements may relate, but need not be limited, to activities, conferences, meetings, training events and programmes, published material, and to organisations or groups as specific entities.

1.3  Not-for-profit groups or organisations may seek endorsements.

1.4  Except in exceptional circumstances (such as co-sponsorship of an event with not-for-profit or charitable purposes) no application for endorsement will be accepted from for-profit groups or organisations, by political parties and related interest groups, or by organisations or groups whose endorsement might contravene The Cochrane Collaboration’s charitable purposes, as defined in the Memorandum and Articles of Association (www.cochrane.org/admin/artassoc.htm).

1.5  Individuals may not seek personal endorsement of themselves, except in pursuance of The Cochrane Collaboration’s aims and purposes and for a specific intent (such as endorsing an individual’s candidature to represent The Cochrane Collaboration on an external working group or committee).

1.6  Where endorsement is sought and the proposal does not meet the full criteria, but nonetheless is felt to have merit, an expression of support may be offered that does not imply full endorsement, and may entail the setting of specific conditions or limitations (such as not approving use of the Cochrane logo).

1.7  Endorsement where given will usually be for specific articles, events or activities that are by definition time-limited. However, consideration will be given to endorsements for longer periods up to three years, after which the endorsement will automatically lapse and renewal if required must be sought.

2. Alignment:  Are the aims of the proposed activity, and of the responsible body, aligned with those of The Cochrane Collaboration?

3. Relevance:  The item for which endorsement is requested should be relevant to the place in which The Cochrane Collaboration’s endorsement will appear.

4. Conflict: Endorsement will not be given to organisations or activities where this would create conflict with the Collaboration’s commercial sponsorship policy.

5. Positioning: The positioning of The Cochrane Collaboration’s endorsement in relation to other logos, brand or company names, photographs, etc. should not infer any implied endorsement.

6. Publicity: Likely publicity generated by the endorsement should not be harmful to The Cochrane Collaboration.

7. The requests should contain sufficient material to allow a proper assessment to be made. Material showing the way in which the endorsement is to be used should be provided.

8. (‘Cochrane Inside’ logo only):  Does the item to be endorsed with the ‘Cochrane Inside’ logo contain or substantially derive from Cochrane Collaboration output?