The BMJ likes systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Even though we are well aware of problems associated with this kind of research (see Sterne et al's article on page 101), we are convinced that this kind of research is necessary to provide the best evidence for health care. In this week's issue we publish a systematic review (p 81) that has already been published in the Cochrane Library recently. This is because, together with other journals, we recognise that publication is a continuum, and being published in the Cochrane Library ensures regular updates to include the latest evidence. Additionally, systematic reviews published in the Cochrane Library are usually of higher quality than those published in other journals only. Abstracts of Cochrane reviews can be found at www.update-software.com/cochrane/cochrane-frame.html, but, unfortunately, you have to pay a subscription in order to access full text articles.
The mission of the Cochrane Collaboration is “preparing, maintaining and promoting the accessibility of systematic reviews of the effects of healthcare interventions.” More detailed information can be found on www.cochrane.org, a truly rich website that does a lot more than provide information on aims, collaborators, and how to do a systematic review properly (www.cochrane.org/cochrane/resource.htm). It is also an apparently successful attempt to let the collaboration flourish and grow. In addition, the collaboration has taken an early but serious step towards doctor-patient partnership by providing a consumer website (www.cochraneconsumer.com). This site is easy to navigate, and the contents are excellent and well presented. In fact, www.cochrane.org and many other health related websites might benefit from adopting the friendly web design.
For those who would like to try a quantitative synthesis of trial data, epiweb.massey.ac.nz/meta_analysis_software.htm provides a convenient list of links to free software for performing meta-analysis. If you want to spend money on more powerful software you might visit www.meta-analysis.com or www.update-software.com/metaxis/metaxis-frame.html.