Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR) is the leading journal and database for systematic reviews in health care. The CDSR includes Cochrane Reviews (systematic reviews) and protocols for Cochrane Reviews as well as editorials and supplements.

The CDSR (ISSN 1469-493X) is owned and produced by Cochrane, a global, independent network of researchers, professionals, patients, carers, and people interested in health.

Aims and scope

The CDSR covers any topic relevant to health care, including health services.

Article types

Cochrane Reviews

The CDSR includes all Cochrane Reviews (and protocols) prepared by Cochrane Review Groups. Each Cochrane Review is a systematic review that has been prepared and supervised by a Cochrane Review Group (editorial team). It attempts to identify, appraise and synthesize all the empirical evidence that meets pre-specified eligibility criteria to answer a specific research question. Researchers conducting systematic reviews use explicit, systematic methods that are selected with a view aimed at minimizing bias, to produce more reliable findings to inform decision-making. Cochrane Reviews are updated to reflect the findings of new evidence when it becomes available because the results of new studies can change the conclusions of a review. Cochrane Reviews are therefore valuable sources of information for those receiving and providing care, as well as for decision-makers and researchers.

Protocols

Cochrane researchers use protocols to describe the proposed approach for a systematic review. A protocol outlines the question that the review authors are addressing, detailing the criteria against which studies will be assessed for inclusion in the review, and describing how the authors will manage the review process. Protocols contain information that defines the health problem and the intervention under investigation, how benefits and harms will be measured, and the type of appropriate study design. The protocol also outlines the process for identifying, assessing, and summarizing studies in the review. By making this information available the protocol is a public record of how the review authors intend to answer their research question.

Editorials

Editorials aim to stimulate discussion and ideas around the development of evidence synthesis to promote good decision-making in clinical care and health policy. The Editor in Chief may commission editorials linked to Cochrane Reviews of interest or on topics likely to be of interest to a broad readership. Proposals for editorials are welcome and should be submitted to the Editor in Chief for consideration.

Supplements

Since 2009, the abstracts from Cochrane Colloquia and other conferences have been published as CDSR supplements.

From 2010 to 2016, Cochrane Methods (ISSN: 2044-4702), the official annual newsletter for methodological issues within Cochrane, was published as an annual CDSR supplement.

Publication

The CDSR has 12 issues per year. Each issue is built throughout the month, with new and updated articles published when ready. The first issue of the CDSR was published in April 1995. Until the end of 2009, the CDSR had a quarterly publication schedule, with 4 issues a year. From January 2010, the CDSR moved to a monthly publication schedule. An issue opens from the first day of the calendar month and will close on the last day of the calendar month.

The CDSR is part of the Cochrane Library, which is published by Wiley and is available via national provision, subscription, pay-per-view, and one-click free access for qualifying countries. See the Access page for more information.

The CDSR does not publish any unpaid or paid-for advertising. See Cochrane’s advertising policy.

Information for authors

Cochrane Reviews are prepared by author teams who register titles with one of the Cochrane Review Groups. The Cochrane Review Groups provide authors with methodological and editorial support to prepare Cochrane Reviews, and manage the editorial process, including peer review.

Editorials and Special Collections are commissioned by Cochrane editorial staff, and proposals are welcome.

For more information, see Information for authors.

Editorial structure

For details about the Editor in Chief and Editorial Board see About the Cochrane Library.

Cochrane Review Groups

Each Cochrane Review Group focuses on a specific topic area and is led by a Co-ordinating Editor(s) and an editorial team including a Managing Editor, Information Specialist, and specialist Editors. The Cochrane Review Groups provide authors with methodological and editorial support to prepare Cochrane Reviews, and manage the editorial process, including peer review. Information about each team is available on Cochrane Review Group websites.

Editorial and publication policies

For all policies relation to the CDSR, see Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews: editorial policies 

For policies and processes relating to Cochrane Clinical Answers, see About Cochrane Clinical Answers.

Journal Impact factor

The 2020 Journal Impact Factor for the CDSR is 9.289. Clarivate Analytics publishes the Journal Impact Factors of all journals indexed in the InCites Journal Citation Reports. Fact sheets for previous years are below, along with reports for individual Cochrane Review Groups.

Year	Journal Impact Factor	Downloads
2020	9.289	IF fact sheet | Impact report
2019	7.890	IF fact sheet | Impact report
2018	7.755	IF fact sheet | Impact report
2017	6.754	IF fact sheet | IF and usage report
2016	6.264	IF fact sheet | IF and usage report
2015	6.103	IF fact sheet | IF and usage report
2014	6.035	IF fact sheet | IF and usage report
2013	5.939	IF fact sheet | IF and usage report
2012	5.785	IF fact sheet | IF and usage report
2011	5.912	IF fact sheet | IF and usage report
2010	6.186	IF fact sheet | IF and usage report
2009	5.653	IF fact sheet
2008	5.182	IF fact sheet
2007	4.654	-

 

Translations

The Cochrane Library is available as a Spanish language version.

Additionally, the abstracts or plain language summaries of many Cochrane Reviews have been translated into one or more of 13 languages, and these are available in the Cochrane Library.

For more information, see Cochrane Translation Projects.

Indexing and archiving

Indexing

Cochrane Reviews and Editorials are indexed in PubMed and other databases, including Web of Science and Scopus.

Repositories, including PubMed Central

From 1 February 2013 onwards, authors have had the right to post the published version of their Cochrane Review or protocol for a Cochrane Review in a repository, 12 months after publication. From September 2016, Cochrane Reviews have been automatically submitted into PubMedCentral on behalf of authors. More information is available from Cochrane.