The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) is compiled from a number of sources, including PubMed and Embase. Since 2017, Cochrane and our development partner Metaxis have increased the number of sources feeding into CENTRAL and improved the efficiency of our processes through the use of APIs, machine learning and crowdsourcing , via Cochrane Crowd.
Cochrane’s Centralised Search Service (CSS) is an initiative in Cochrane that aims to populate CENTRAL with reports of randomised and quasi-randomised trials. Currently six different sources are searched regularly for RCTs.
A recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology found that Cochrane's centralised search and screening processes are proving highly sensitive. The CSS is helping to make CENTRAL a comprehensive repository of randomized control trials, supporting review teams globally to find the evidence they need quickly and easily.
