Cochrane Handbook for
Systematic Reviews of Interventions

The authoritative guidance for creating and maintaining Cochrane systematic reviews on the effects of healthcare interventions is the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. For information on the methodology used in Cochrane systematic reviews, all authors should reference the Handbook. In addition, the Handbook contains guidance on the standard methods that apply to all reviews (planning a review, searching and selecting studies, data collection, risk of bias assessment, statistical analysis, GRADE, and interpreting results), as well as more specialized topics (non-randomized studies, adverse effects, complex interventions, equity, economics, patient-reported outcomes, individual patient data, prospective meta-analysis, and qualitative research).

Methodological Expectations for Cochrane Intervention Reviews (MECIR)

The Methodological Expectations for Cochrane Intervention Reviews compiles key components of Handbook guidelines (MECIR). These define the fundamental requirements that are commonly anticipated in Cochrane reviews. Each MECIR item has a link to the appropriate Handbook chapter.

Permission to re-use material from the Handbook

Academic or other non-commercial re-uses of Handbook material : Please fill out this short webform to seek permission to re-use information from the Handbook for scholarly and non-commercial purposes. This will be forwarded to the Cochrane Support team, who will tell the Handbook Senior Editors, Julian Higgins or James Thomas, if necessary. If authorized, these requests will be fulfilled at no cost if the source is recognized.

Commercial re-use of Handbook material :Commercial re-use includes any use of the Handbook in a product for which a monetary fee is charged and where it is affiliated in any manner with any product or service. Please get in touch with Wiley Global Permissions, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd for any commercial re-use of Handbook material inquiries.

Reference:

Higgins JPT, Thomas J, Chandler J, Cumpston M, Li T, Page MJ, Welch VA (editors). Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions version 6.3 (updated February 2022). Cochrane, 2022. Available from www.training.cochrane.org/handbook.