The Cochrane Library

Abstract

Charbonneau reviews The Cochrane Library, an online database which provides easy access to a wealth of quality evidence-based material useful for developing guidelines, making policy, and assessing the effects of health care interventions.

The Cochrane Library. John Wiley & Sons, 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030; 201.748.5764; [email protected]; http: / / www .thecochranelibrary.com; individual licenses: $265.00-$495.00; institutional subscription rates based on the type of institution, user population, and the collection of Wiley InterScience resources selected.

Accessible through the Wiley InterScience Website, the new interface to the Cochrane Library provides easy access to a collection of high-quality, evidence-based health care databases assembled by the Cochrane Collaboration and related organizations including the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS). Established in 1993, the Cochrane Collaboration aims to produce and disseminate reliable and up-to-date information to support decision making in health care. The Cochrane Library database collection includes the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Methodology Reviews, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Methodology Register, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, Health Technology Assessment Database, and NHS Economic Evaluation Database. A wide and growing range of health, social, and economic topics are covered and can be utilized to determine the effectiveness and appropriateness of interventions, to develop guidelines, and to use in policy making.

All users can search the databases free of charge from the Wiley Website and access abstract material. Subscribers can search the databases and access full-text material. The Cochrane Reviewers' Handbook is available from the Cochrane Library Website and is useful reading for any librarian wishing to understand the systematic review process more fully. Database coverage ranges from 1992 to the present, and the resource is updated on a quarterly basis. At the time of this review, over 470,700 records were available and searchable from the combined Cochrane Library database collection. In particular, 2,249 complete reviews and 1,539 protocols were available from the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

Once logged into the Cochrane Library on Wiley InterScience, users find a straightforward and easy-to-navigate interface. Links to browse functions are clearly labeled. Users can browse an alphabetical list of titles in each individual database or browse topics by Cochrane Review Group, such as Pregnancy and Childbirth or Heart. Basic searches can be performed using the search box also located on the home page. Users can quickly search across the entire content of the database collection by entering a keyword or search terms. Boolean operators ('AND," "OR," "NOT") may also be used when performing a quick search and are effective for combining multiple search terms. Search tips explain how to perform wildcard truncation and proximity searches.

To refine a search, the Cochrane Advanced Search page offers several options and limits, such as limiting to a particular database or databases. In addition, users can limit searches by fields that they wish to search such as author, source, or publication type using pull-down menus. Searches may be limited by date range or by record status including new, commented, commented and updated, or withdrawn. A search for Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms is also available to assist in locating specific and relevant terms. The search history keeps a list of searches performed during the current session, and searches can be combined.

Results are displayed in an uncluttered results list. The total number of record matches in each of the Cochrane Library databases is displayed. Results can be sorted alphabetically by title, by relevancy, or by publication date, and twentyfive results are displayed on each page. Search results consist primarily of structured abstracts and completed full-text reviews and protocols carried out by the Cochrane Collaboration. Color-coded symbols are used to indicate reviews and protocols. Highlighting search terms in a selected record would be a useful addition.

Several viewing and output options are offered. The document display format includes abstracts and synopses. A left-column table of contents section allows quick navigation in the document. Fulltext documents are available to view and print in hypertext markup language (HMTL) and portable document format (PDF) versions. Users can manage the results by using the check boxes next to each record to select individual records. Selected citations and abstracts can be exported in text format and imported into standard bibliographic management programs. A more efficient and clearer method for sorting, displaying, emailing, and printing selected records would be a desirable enhancement.

One of the value-added features is the option of creating a personal profile. After completing a onetime registration, users can use a "personal navigation bar" to manage their saved articles and saved searches and to register for customized alerts in their chosen topic areas. In addition, a feedback system is available to view and add comments and criticisms of reviews or protocols. Users are encouraged to submit comments to help ensure the highest quality of reviews.

Major strengths of the resource include an easy-to-use interface, a variety of flexible searching and browsing features, and the option to create a customized profile with alerts. Users will appreciate the ability to locate reliable and current information from a single interface, to store saved searches, and to receive customized alerts. Overall, the Cochrane Library via Wiley InterScience provides easy access to a wealth of quality evidence-based material useful for developing guidelines, making policy, and assessing the effects of health care interventions. This resource is a valuable tool for a broad range of people interested in evidence-based health care, including clinicians, consumers, policy makers, researchers, educators, and others.