Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How do I access the Cochrane Library? How much does it cost?
For most users, access to The Cochrane Library is on a subscription basis. (See subscription information).
National Provisions
Residents in a number of countries can access The Cochrane Library for free through a 'national provision'. National Provisions for The Cochrane Library exist for the following countries:
- Australia
- Denmark
- England
- Finland
- Ireland and the Island of Ireland
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Scotland
- Sweden
- Wales
Access is also possible through special schemes for the following:
- Higher Education & Further Education Institutions in the United Kingdom
- Latin America, the Caribbean, and Low-Income Countries
- South African Cochrane Centre sponsorship
For more information on each country's national provision, please see the Cochrane Library National Provision section.
How much does it cost?
Currently, there are three versions of the Cochrane Library available, online, CD Rom or PDA. For pricing information please refer to www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/mrwhome/106568753/AccessCochraneLibrary.html
Why isn't it free?
The Cochrane Collaboration is a large international organization registered as a charity in the UK. Although individual Centres, such as the UK Cochrane Centre, receive grants or government funding, the organization of the Collaboration as a whole is funded solely by income from sales. Wiley manages the production and distribution of The Cochrane Library, and works with publishing partners to ensure widespread dissemination of the work of the Collaboration. Profits from sales are used to fund the work of the Collaboration.
Where can I get technical help from?
Wiley offer customer service support at www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/mrwhome/106568753/HELP_Cochrane.html Users may also post questions to the CLUG listserv, as Wiley’s customer support staff monitor the list.
Does anyone provide training on how to use it?
This site provides guides and other teaching materials for The Cochrane Library. For additional training, please contact your regional Cochrane Centre.
I have some comments to make on a particular Cochrane review; what's the easiest way to do this?
At the bottom of each review, in the 'Coversheet' section are reviewer contact details.
I have heard of other products which include The Cochrane Library, for example OVID's Evidence Based Medicine Reviews (EBMR) database. Are they all the same?
Update Software have entered into agreements with several software hosts for different parts of The Cochrane Library to be used. For example, OVID's EBMR database has the full text of CDSR on it, but not the rest of The Cochrane Library. It is important to check you are clear about what you get with each package.
Are the Cochrane Database and the Cochrane Library the same thing?
The Cochrane DATABASE of Systematic Reviews (CDSR) is just part of the Cochrane LIBRARY. They are not one and the same thing. Again make sure you are clear about what you are accessing or providing access to.
Should I keep hold of old CD issues of the Cochrane Library?
Yes, if possible for archival purposes, hold onto a copy of the older issues of the Cochrane Library. Although each disc supercedes the previous, Cochrane reviews are updated and therefore change over time. It could be that someone needs to refer to a previous version of a review, that would only be available on a previous issue of The Cochrane Library.
Where can I get the Cochrane Reviewer's Handbook and the Cochrane Manual?
Both the Reviewer's Handbook (information on how to conduct a Cochrane Review) and the Cochrane Manual (information on the way the collaboration works) are available from the Cochrane Collaboration website.