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Welcome to the March ME Support Digest In this edition we update you on Editorial Manager, have details of the latest Cochrane Handbook, the latest guidance on plain language summaries and news on your peers. We hope you find it useful.
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Contents 1. Editorial Manager a. Staff changes and roles in Editorial Manager b. Editorial Manager demo / Q&A sessions c. Contacting the Methods Support Unit via Editorial Manager
2. Information Specialist search peer review 3. Release of version 6.3 of the Cochrane Handbook 4. New guidance and template for writing Cochrane Plain language summaries is now available 5. Required information for Central Editorial Service before transfer 6. PICO summaries now available on Cochrane Reviews 7. Methods Support Unit web clinic on 14th April 2022 8. Announcing a day with Equity Methods Group on 27 April 2022 9. News a. Cochrane Neonatal changes b. Cochrane PaPaS - Congratulations to Anna Erskine - Maternity cover c. Cochrane Haematology d. Leavers e. Cochrane Injuries f. Rachel Marshall leaving as Head of Editorial
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Staff changes and roles in Editorial Manager If staff leave or join your group, please contact Cochrane Support for assistance with: - Transferring editorial assignments and tasks in EM
- Changing the designated primary ME who receives Direct to Editor New and Revised Submissions
- Deleting or adding editorial group roles
- Granting or removing access to Convey
- Arranging staff induction and EM training for new starters
Editorial Manager demo / Q&A sessions Don’t forget to join our regular EM drop-in / Q&A sessions to ask questions and share knowledge with colleagues using Editorial Manager. Contacting the Methods Support Unit via Editorial Manager You can now open a Discussion in Editorial Manager with the Methods Support team, if you need their input on a review. Two new Discussion templates are available at Proposal (pre-submission) and post-submission stage in Editorial Manager: - Methods Support Unit referral pre-submission - Proposals (please note that the Initiate Discussion link is visible on the Details screen for Proposals)
- Methods Support Unit referral post-submission - Submissions
You can customise the Methods Support Discussion templates as you wish, and search for Editor participants with the Methods Support role to invite Kerry Dwan and Andrew Back to participate. See Discussions.
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2. Information Specialist search peer review
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A reminder that post-submission search peer review across Cochrane is now available from a dedicated team of Information Specialist search peer reviewers. The team is made up of volunteer Cochrane Information Specialists who have agreed to receive requests for search peer review. If you have an established Information Specialist to conduct post-submission peer review, you can continue to assign them the Information Specialist Reviewer task in EM. If your Information Specialist has reviewed the search internally, you may wish to invite further feedback from the IS Search Peer Review Team. As stated in the Cochrane Handbook, search peer review is strongly recommended. For further information on how the team works, please see our FAQs for Information Specialist Search Peer Reviewers. See Information Specialist search peer review.
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3. Release of version 6.3 of the Cochrane Handbook
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Full details are available here and a summary of changes includes: Clarification that authors should assess risk of bias for each study result contributing to an outcome in the summary of findings table and that the original risk of bias tool can still be used in Cochrane Intervention Reviews (MECIR C52 updated). Updates to the searching and selecting studies chapter reflect the most up-to-date research, tools and best practice (these updates did not result in changes to MECIR conduct standards). Changes to the reporting chapter reflect developments in reporting practices in line with PRISMA 2020, new guidance for writing a Cochrane plain language summary and additional reporting requirements when assessing risk of bias using updated tools such as RoB 2 and ROBINS-I (these updates did not result in changes to MECIR conduct standards).
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4. New guidance and template for writing Cochrane Plain language summaries is now available
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The Cochrane Library Editorial Board recently approved new guidance and a template for writing plain language summaries in Cochrane Reviews. The guidance replaces PLEACS (Plain Language Expectations for Authors of Cochrane Summaries), the previous set of standards for writing Plain language summaries. - For all ongoing reviews in the pre-submission phase, authors should write their Plain Language Summaries according to the new template and its associated guidance.
- For reviews that have been submitted for editorial process authors are advised (but not expected) to adopt the new template for the Plain Language Summary.
The template has a new standardised set of headings: - Plain language summary title
- Key messages
- Tailored heading: for example, What is epilepsy?
- Optional tailored heading: for example, How is epilepsy treated?
- What did we want to find out?
- What did we do?
- What did we find?
- Optional heading: Main results
- What are the limitations of the evidence?
- How up to date is this evidence?
Editorial teams are encouraged to use the recommended intervention review template to ensure the new headings are included in all new titles registered via Editorial Manager. Headings can also be copied from the template into protocols and reviews in progress. The template was developed for intervention reviews but diagnostic test accuracy reviews are also incorporated in the guidance (see also DTA Handbook). The guidance was produced as part of the pilot Plain Language Summary Project in 2020. It builds on previous guidance as well as drawing on experience gained during the project. It is no longer based solely on a set of standards, but also describes how authors and editors should approach writing plain language summaries and how to incorporate GRADE statements to describe the results of systematic reviews. If you have any queries about using review templates, or incorporating the new headings into your existing template, please contact Cochrane Support: support@cochrane.org.
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5. Required information for Central Editorial Service before transfer
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Cochrane Review Groups may transfer submissions to the Central Editorial Service at an agreed point in the editorial process. The following information is required upon transfer of a manuscript in order to optimise the editorial process of articles. This information should be added as manuscript notes in Editorial Manager which will be visible to editors after transfer. Please see the EM Knowledge base for further instructions on transferring manuscripts to the Central Editorial Service. - Is this a priority submission (e.g. funded, has been commissioned, or does it address a priority question identified through a formal prioritisation process etc)? Or, why is the review important?
- Are there any deadlines that need to be met for publication (and if so the dates and people/organisations involved)?
- Who conducted/arranged the search for the article?
- Has the CRG provided any support to the development of the review?
- Do the CRG or authors have recommendations for clinical/content, or consumer peer reviewers (not mandatory)?
- Whether your CRG usually has preferred language spelling on publication, of British (i.e. UK), American (i.e. US), or no preference. Please note: if no information is provided the Central Editorial Service will specify no preference.
- Any other important information the CRG would like to share with the Central Editorial Service such as comments made by editors (including minor comments that still need to be addressed by authors), any revisions already made by authors, and any problems encountered prior to submission. Files can be shared.
Please note that Cochrane Review Groups and authors should aim to give the Central Editorial Service 1-2 weeks’ notice prior to submission. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Central Editorial Service team on editorial-service@cochrane.org.
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6. PICO summaries now available on Cochrane Reviews
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Changes have been introduced to Cochrane Reviews to display PICO terms below the Abstract. This gives an at-a-glance summary of Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome for the Review as annotated by Cochrane Community experts. With one click on a PICO term, users can see search results for Reviews with the same included PICOs. There is also prominent Help material giving clear guidance on using PICOs, linking to the relevant section of the Cochrane Handbook. On the Review Information pages, MeSH and PICOs are grouped together for easy discoverability. For further information, please click here.
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7. Methods Support Unit web clinic on 14th April 2022
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Join us on 14 April 2022 at our next Methods Support Unit web clinic where we’ll be joined by Jo McKenzie and Sue Brennan, to learn about a checklist and guide for defining the questions to be addressed in the synthesis of public health intervention reviews.
REGISTER HERE
This session is for any Cochrane authors, editors or staff. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from experts from across Cochrane and discuss their questions directly with the speakers, Methods Support Unit and others on the call. Each month, Cochrane’s Methods Support Unit invites Cochrane Review authors, editors and staff to a 60-minute web clinic to discuss their methodological questions during the production of Cochrane Protocols and Reviews. The first half of the session is dedicated to a specific topic which has been requested by the audience or identified through the work of the Methods Support Unit. An invited speaker will present on the issue and there will be time for questions and discussion. In the second half of the session, audience members can discuss specific methodological questions they have about their Cochrane Protocols and Reviews (please submit these to the Methods Support Unit is advance here). Depending on the queries submitted, representatives from Cochrane’s Methods Group may be invited. If you have any general questions about the clinics or would like to propose a topic, please contact us via support@cochrane.org. Please note: The sessions are recorded and shared via our website for those who can’t attend, meaning their contents will be stored in the public domain.
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8. Announcing a day with Equity Methods Group on 27 April 2022
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Celebrate all things equity with the Equity Methods Group. There are lots of ways to get involved, including live sessions on priority setting, knowledge translation, diversity and mapping health equity, as well as free access to training and much more. Full details and how to register here.
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Cochrane Neonatal changes Fiona Russell has joined Neonatal as ME for 3 days week and will continue in her role at Cochrane ARI for the other 2 days. The ME role will be shared with Pua Motu’apuaka who will work 1 day for Neonatal and continue her role as ME for Cochrane Fertility. Chris Cooper (formerly ME of EPOC), will join the team as IS.
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Cochrane PaPaS Congratulations to Anna Erskine! Baby girl Caoimhe (pron. Kee-va) was born on 6th February, weighing 2.9kg. Anna and Caoimhe are both doing well.
Jessica Thomas will be covering Anna’s maternity leave. Jessica returns to her old stomping ground as she used to be ME for PaPaS before Anna. Welcome back Jessica!
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Cochrane Haematology Caroline Hirsch is now joint ME alongside Claire Iannizzi for Cochrane Haematology. Caroline joined the group as AME in August 2020 while doing her Masters in Health Economics.
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Leavers It is with heavy hearts that we say goodbye to Vernon Hedge. Vernon’s last day as ME for Cochrane Anaesthesia and Emergency and Critical Care will be 31st March 2022. Vernon - we wish you all the best for the future. Vernon joins Nicole Martin (Heart) and Teo Quay (Gut) who have already left their posts.
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Cochrane Injuries Emma Sydenham is now on maternity leave until 9 Jan 2023. Jane Dennis (jane.dennis@lshtm.ac.uk) should be contacted for any queries.
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Rachel Marshall leaving as Head of Editorial "Dear Cochrane Managing Editors, I wanted to let you know that I will be leaving my role as Head of Editorial at Cochrane in mid-July this year. I’ve given a long period of notice to ensure a smooth handover, and I will be working with colleagues in the Central Executive Team and the wider Cochrane Community to report on the Editorial Independence and Efficiency Project (EIEP) pilot, and to contribute to plans for expanding the Central Editorial Service as part of the Future of Evidence Synthesis. Despite the challenging times we’ve all experienced over the past couple of years, I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved together with the EIEP pilot roll out and the launch of Editorial Manager. I wanted to thank all of you for your time and commitment to these projects, particularly the many MEs that I’ve worked with closely, including MEs from the EIEP working group, the pilot CRGs, the Central Editorial Service, ME Support, the Community liaison officers, and importantly the MEs Exec, who have effectively communicated on your behalf. My last day for Cochrane will be 15th July, and I hope to speak with many of you before then. All the very best for the future, Rachel."
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If you have any questions about any of the above items, or about any aspect of your ME role, regardless of your location, please contact us at support@cochrane.org The Cochrane Managing Editor Support Team: Anupa Shah & Liz Dooley
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