Scope of our work

The TWG serves as the focal point for training issues in the Collaboration. Its remit is to develop strategies to meet the training and support needs of those who are actively involved in preparing and maintaining Cochrane reviews (review authors, editors and members of editorial bases).

Although the priority for the TWG is intervention reviews (including overviews of reviews), we plan to explore with the DTA Working Group the possibility of including diagnostic test accuracy reviews in the remit at some future point.

At this stage, our remit does not extend to peer reviewing, copy editing, formal mentoring programs, generic training in evidence-based health care, using systematic reviews or using The Cochrane Library.

Click here for enlarged version of the Cochrane Training Schema. Visit the Projects page to read more about our current projects.

Terms of reference

1. to identify the training and support needs of those who prepare and support the preparation of Cochrane intervention reviews
2. to develop and implement strategies to provide high quality training through a range of modes (e.g. online, face-to-face)
3. to develop and maintain a core set of standard resources for training and support
4. to foster communication among entities and other groups in the Collaboration in relation to training and support

Communication

As the schema above shows (enlarged version), the TWG interacts and communicates with many entities and groups within the Collaboration, including:

• CoEds Methods Working Group
• Centres
• Methods Groups
• CRGs (principally through Co-Eds Exec, MEs Exec and TSCs Exec)
• Handbook Advisory Group
• Copy Edit Support
• Editor in Chief and The Cochrane Library Editorial Unit
• IMS
• Cochrane Web team
• Cochrane Collaboration Steering Group
• Diagnostic Test Accuracy Working Group

Background to the formation of the TWG

The release in 2008 of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions, the rollout of RevMan 5 and the introduction of new types of reviews prompted a Collaboration-wide discussion of training and implementation issues.

The CCSG funded a meeting in Cambridge in July 2008 to explore approaches and identify solutions to meet the training and support requirements across the Collaboration. The meeting was attended by representatives from Centres, CRGs, Methods Groups and IMS. The aims of the meeting included:

1. to agree a plan for training in new methods across the Cochrane Collaboration, including training of editors, entity staff, authors and others.
2. to discuss strategies for developing training materials and resources, identify roles and responsibilities, and plan ongoing collaboration and communication between entities.

The meeting identified several gaps in training and support and proposed several strategies for addressing training needs. (The report of the meeting is available here.) A Training Working Group was proposed to take forward these and other strategies and an open meeting to discuss the remit, terms of reference, membership, structure and key priorities of the Group took place at the Freiburg Colloquium in October 2008. (Notes of the meeting are available here.)