Welcome to the Author Digest, December 2025

We hope you find it helpful.

This digest goes out to all active Cochrane authors and will continue to be sent to authors who are opted in. Please review your communication preferences in your Cochrane Account and ensure you are opted in to communications.

Contents

News from Cochrane’s Editorial Office
Central Executive Team closure dates
Methods Support Unit web clinic
Covidence blog: Saving lives, one birth at a time
Top tips for authors: Conflict of Interest declarations

1. News from Cochrane's Editorial Office

As 2025 draws to a close, the Central Editorial Service (CES) team is thrilled to share some incredible milestones that showcase a year of progress and achievement:

• Faster Editorial Decisions: We’ve cut the time to first editorial decision by over three months compared to last year—an outstanding improvement from December 2024 to November 2025.
• Increased Output: By the end of November, we delivered 466 final editorial decisions, already surpassing 2024’s total by 17.
• Growing Submission Pipeline: We’ve received 42 more submissions than in all of 2024 and accepted 49% of proposals.
• Swifter Production: Our colleagues in production have also cut the time from acceptance to publication by more than 50%.
• Smarter Workflows: We’re continuously refining how we work. We have just started a full workflow audit, and we’re gearing up for 2026 with exciting changes like introducing word count limits across all publications.

We were also delighted to welcome our new Head of Editorial, Tony Aburrow, who joined us in October from his previous role as Cochrane’s Editorial Policy Lead.

Looking back, 2025 has been an exceptional year. As Deputy for Editorial Operations, I want to extend heartfelt thanks to our authors and community members for their dedication and support. Most of all, I want to celebrate my incredible teams across the Evidence Production and Methods Directorate—you’ve done a demanding job brilliantly, ensuring Cochrane’s high standards every single day.

Here’s to a well-deserved festive break and an amazing start to 2026!

Best wishes,

Anne Flegel

2. Central Executive Team closure dates

Cochrane's Central Executive Team (CET), Support, and Cochrane Production Service (CPS) capacity over the Christmas and New Year period will be much reduced because the teams are taking a well-deserved break. The entirety of the CET is closed 25 December-1 January.

Support Helpdesk:

• The Helpdesk will be open 24 December but with reduced staff capacity.
• Support will reopen with reduced capacity on 2 January.

CPS:

• Last copy-editing assignments before Christmas will be made by 1pm (GMT) on 19 December 2025.
• CPS will close at 5pm (GMT) on 19 December 2025.
• CPS will reopen at 9am (GMT) on 5 January 2026.

3. Methods Support Unit web clinic

The January Methods Support Unit web clinic is open for sign-up! The clinic focuses on the TRANSFER approach for structured collaboration with stakeholders in order to consider context and the transferability of review findings. Don’t forget - if you sign-up, you will automatically be sent a recording of the session afterwards.

Stakeholder engagement with the TRANSFER approach: Thursday 22 January 2026 at 9am UTC (check time in your time zone)

4. Covidence

A new WHO-led guideline brings together the latest evidence, including key Cochrane reviews, to improve how postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is prevented, detected, and treated.

The result: clearer recommendations, earlier intervention, and stronger support for the health workers who save mothers’ lives every day.

Read the full blog to learn how evidence is shaping action.

5. Top tips for Cochrane authors

Before you submit your protocol or review to Cochrane, all authors must download a declaration of interest form, complete it, and share with the Corresponding author before they submit to Editorial Manager. 

Review our Conflict of Interest policy to learn more.

Contact us

If you have any questions about any of the above items, please contact us at support@cochrane.org