Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 28, 2026
06:55
Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighting (Propensity Score) using the Military Health System Data Repository and National Death Index
Published on: January 8, 2020
Following 411 Cochrane protocols to completion: a retrospective cohort study
Andrea C Tricco1, Jamie Brehaut, Maggie H Chen
1Chalmers Research Group, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Plos One
|November 11, 2008
Summary
Only 80% of Cochrane protocols become full reviews, with a median 2.4-year publication time. Strategies are needed to speed up Cochrane review publication and improve efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Systematic review methodology
- Evidence-based medicine
Background:
- Cochrane reviews are highly regarded for scientific rigor.
- Factors influencing Cochrane review publication have not been previously studied.
- Understanding publication predictors is crucial to avoid biased decision-making.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the publication frequency of Cochrane protocols.
- To identify factors predicting the time to publication for Cochrane reviews.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study of Cochrane protocols published in 2000-2001.
- Follow-up of publication status until January 2008 in The Cochrane Library.
- Survival analysis to assess time to publication and predictive factors.
Main Results:
- 80.9% of 372 analyzed Cochrane protocols were published as full reviews.
- Median time to publication was 2.4 years (range: 0.15-8.96 years).
- Shorter publication time correlated with subsequent review updates; longer time correlated with multiple protocol amendments.
Conclusions:
- Approximately 20% of Cochrane protocols remain unpublished after over 8 years.
- Significant delays in publication time were observed.
- Streamlining processes, enhancing author support for amendments, and improving update infrastructure are recommended.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Study Designs in Epidemiology
Epidemiological study designs are fundamental tools for investigating the distribution, determinants, and control of health conditions in populations. They help researchers understand the relationships between exposures and outcomes, and they broadly fall into two categories: "observational" and "experimental" studies.
Observational studies are those where the researcher does not intervene but rather observes natural variations. They include cross-sectional, cohort, and case-control studies.
Observational studies are those where the researcher does not intervene but rather observes natural variations. They include cross-sectional, cohort, and case-control studies.
01:11Observational Studies
Observational studies are a type of analytical study where researchers observe events without any interventions. In other words, the researcher does not influence the response variable or the experiment's outcome.
There are three types of observational studies – Prospective, retrospective, and cross-sectional.
Prospective Study
Prospective studies, also known as longitudinal or cohort studies, are carried out by collecting future data from groups sharing similar characteristics. One example of...
There are three types of observational studies – Prospective, retrospective, and cross-sectional.
Prospective Study
Prospective studies, also known as longitudinal or cohort studies, are carried out by collecting future data from groups sharing similar characteristics. One example of...
01:23Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches
Biopharmaceutical studies constitute a vital field aiming to enhance drug delivery methods and refine therapeutic approaches, drawing upon diverse interdisciplinary knowledge. In research methodologies, the choice between controlled and non-controlled studies significantly influences the study's reliability and accuracy.
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast, controlled...
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast, controlled...
02:20Longitudinal Research
Sometimes we want to see how people change over time, as in studies of human development and lifespan. When we test the same group of individuals repeatedly over an extended period of time, we are conducting longitudinal research. Longitudinal research is a research design in which data-gathering is administered repeatedly over an extended period of time. For example, we may survey a group of individuals about their dietary habits at age 20, retest them a decade later at age 30, and then again...
01:15Study Design in Statistics
A study design is a set of techniques that allow a researcher to collect and analyze data from different variables defined for a specific research problem. Statistics is commonly for effective study design and more robust experiments,
Does aspirin reduce the risk of heart attacks? Is one brand of fertilizer more effective at growing roses than another? Is fatigue as dangerous to a driver as the influence of alcohol? Questions like these are answered using randomized experiments with proper...
Does aspirin reduce the risk of heart attacks? Is one brand of fertilizer more effective at growing roses than another? Is fatigue as dangerous to a driver as the influence of alcohol? Questions like these are answered using randomized experiments with proper...
01:16Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are prospective experimental studies conducted on humans to determine the safety and efficacy of treatments, drugs, diet methods, and medical devices. Using statistics in clinical trials enables researchers to derive reasonable and accurate conclusions from the collected data, allowing them to make wise decisions in uncertain situations. In medical research, statistical methods are crucial for preventing errors and bias.
There are four phases in a clinical trial. A phase one...
There are four phases in a clinical trial. A phase one...