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Chapter PDFs from the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions (v6.5)

PDF versions of all chapters are available to registered Cochrane contributors below, primarily for training purposes.

Full details on how to obtain permissions to re-use material in the Handbook can be found on the main Handbook webpage. Citation information is included at the beginning of each chapter.

About Cochrane Reviews

I. Introduction

II. Planning a Cochrane Review

III. Reporting a review

IV. Updating a review

V. Overviews of Reviews

Core methods

1. Starting a review

2. Determining the scope of the review and the questions it will address

3. Defining the criteria for including studies and how they will be grouped for synthesis

4. Searching for and selecting studies

5. Collecting data

6. Choosing effect measures and computing estimates of effect

7. Considering bias and conflicts of interest among the included studies

8. Assessing risk of bias in a randomized trial

9. Summarizing studies and preparing for the synthesis

10. Analysing data and undertaking meta-analyses

11. Undertaking network meta-analyses

12. Synthesizing and presenting findings using other methods

13. Assessing risk of bias due to missing results in a synthesis

14. Completing 'Summary of findings' tables and grading the certainty of the evidence

15. Interpreting results and drawing conclusions

Specific perspectives in reviews

16. Equity and specific populations

17. Intervention complexity

18. Patient reported outcomes

19. Adverse effects

20. Economics evidence

21. Qualitative research and Cochrane Reviews

Other topics

22. Prospective approaches to accumulating evidence
23. Including variants on randomized trials
24. Including non-randomized studies
25. Assessing risk of bias in a non-randomized study
26. Individual participant data