Guide for Developing a Cochrane Protocol - Cochrane Public Health ...

Appendix 2 - Public Health Group editorial process
Registration of title
3-6
months
Integration into
Public Health Group module
Submission of
Protocol
(editorial
base)
6-12
months
Submission of
completed
review
(editorial base)
4 weeks
Note:
Protocol/review
may undergo 2-3
drafts/reviews
before
acceptance for
publication
6-8 weeks
Review andcomments
Review and comments
Publication in
Cochrane Library
The overall process of review development can be seen below:
On completion of the draft protocol it should be submitted to the Managing Editor who then
organises for an internal review of the protocol by your assigned Contact editor, methods
advisor, statistical editor, the trial search coordinator and, if appropriate, the CPHG’s developing
countries editorial consultant. All the comments are compiled and sent to the author. Prompt
reply and amendment will ensure timely progression to the next stage – external review.
Generally 3-4 external referees are recruited (composing of content experts,potential end users
and if appropriate and possible, a consumer). Once these referees have agreed to referee the
protocol the relevant documents are sent and there is an understanding that the comments
should be returned to the CPHG within two weeks.
All the comments are compiled by the Contact editor (with guiding comments added) and sent to
the author. Again, prompt reply and amendment will ensure quicker inclusion into The Cochrane
Library. On resubmission, the Contact editor and the Coordinating Editor will then review the
changes. Once the changes have been approved, the protocol will be sent to Wiley Publishes for
copy editing and thereafter the protocol marked by the Managing Editor for publication.
Thereafter all authors will be sent a Permission to Publish Form, along with the final version of
the protocol for approval, to sign. The protocol can NOT be published until this form is signed
(electronically) by ALL authors (therefore all authors need to be available to do so before
publication deadline).
Last updated: 24 November 2011 - 24 -