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Co-publication of your Cochrane review
Summary of steps for co-publishing your review
1. The first point of contact should be the Managing Editor, Laura Prescott. Complete section 1 of Appendix 2 (download from here) and send it to the CSG.
2. The CSG will grant permission and send the form onto the Cochrane Editorial Unit and Wiley to complete.
3. When received back from Wiley, the CSG will inform the review team if permission to co-publish has been granted or not.
Authors should contact the CSG when a review has been co-published so that we can add this information to their Cochrane review and re-publish it.
Co-publishing your review in JAAD or BJD
The CSG has co-publishing agreements with the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD) and the British Journal of Dermatology (BJD). A co-publication agreement just means that the CSG can grant permission for co-publication without referring the case to the Cochrane Editorial Unit. The BJD will publish up to six abridged versions of Skin Group reviews each year.
The JAAD had a section called 'from the Cochrane Library'. More recently our Joint Co-ordinating Editor Robert Dellavalle has been co-ordinating submission of a new format of shorter research letters 'From the Cochrane Library'. We would like to write a 'From the Cochrane Library research letter' for all reviews (here's an example) either by review authors or in co-ordination with other authors available to write the 1st draft for you.
An example of a Cochrane review co-published in the BJD.
An example of a Cochrane review co-published in the JAAD.
List of journals with which Cochrane has co-publication agreements
http://community.cochrane.org/editorial-and-publishing-policy-resource/co-publication/appendices/appendix-3-list-journals-cochrane-co-publication-agreements
You can co-publish in other journals – when our publisher Wiley receives Appendix 2, they just have to ensure that the journal signs a one-off Cochrane co-publication agreement.
Note our Joint Co-eds are also editors for journals and are happy to consider co-publication: JMIR Dermatology & Clinical & Experimental Allergy.
Requirements for co-publication
When submitting an abridged version of a Cochrane Review to a journal (or enquiring about submission in the case of prior or simultaneous publication), the author must make a complete statement to the journal editor to say that the article is based on a Cochrane Review (published or in progress).
The journal version must faithfully reflect the data and interpretations of the Cochrane version. Where journal editing and peer review have resulted in differences in the data or interpretation, these should be discussed with the CSG, and, where appropriate, incorporated into a revised version of the Cochrane Review at the next available opportunity, and with appropriate acknowledgement to the journal's peer reviewers/editors.
The title of the journal version should indicate that it is a secondary publication (complete republication, abridged republication, complete translation, or abridged translation) of the Cochrane Review, preferably by including 'Cochrane Review' or 'Cochrane Systematic Review' in the title.
The support of the CSG in publishing the Cochrane Review should be acknowledged in an appropriate place in the journal version (e.g. in the Acknowledgements section).
The Cochrane Review must be cited in the reference list of the journal version.
a. A footnote should be placed on the title page of the journal version to inform readers and documenting agencies that the paper has been published previously, either in whole or in part, citing the primary publication (CDSR); for example: "This article is based on a Cochrane Review published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR) YYYY, Issue X, DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD00xxxx (see www.thecochranelibrary.com for information). Cochrane Reviews are regularly updated as new evidence emerges and in response to feedback, and the CDSR should be consulted for the most recent version of the review."
b. The Cochrane Review published in the CDSR should reference the journal version in the section 'Other published versions of this review' as soon as possible after publication of the journal version or when in press.
The detailed list of requirements are found here.
Format of a co-published article
The standard format for co-publication of a Cochrane Review is an abridged version, and the co-publication of a complete Cochrane Review would be an exceptional circumstance. It is likely that a co-publishing journal will request that the abridged version of the Cochrane Review is peer reviewed and edited according to the journal's editorial process, and it is possible that the authors will receive additional edits or feedback as part of this process. If appropriate, authors of the Cochrane Review should take these changes into account in the next update of the Cochrane Review. If, during the journal peer review process, authors are asked to change the way they present the review data (e.g. the results and/or conclusions change) in comparison to the CDSR version, the authors should discuss this with the CSG (and Editor in Chief of the Cochrane Library, if necessary).
When to co-publish
Once you publish your protocol in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR), you are bound to publish your review first in the CDSR before it is co-published in any other journal, except in the cases marked with * below.
Authors should also be aware that submitting an abridged version of a Cochrane Review (completed or in progress) to a journal, without the permission of the CSG and Cochrane Editorial Unit, and with the intention that the journal version is published first, may be considered duplicate submission. In such cases the CSG and the CEU will be guided by the procedures outlined by the Committee for Publication Ethics (COPE; www.publicationethics.org) and the ICMJE.
*Prior publication': publication in a journal before publication in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR)
Publishing the completed Cochrane Review in a journal before publication in the CDSR is almost always an inferior option to 'simultaneous publication' and should be reserved for exceptional circumstances.
*Simultaneous publication': publication in a journal on the same or similar date
There may be instances when the public would benefit from the simultaneous publication of a Cochrane Review in the CDSR and another journal. The journal is likely to be a specialist publication (reaching a specialist audience) or published in a language other than English (reaching a new audience). Simultaneous publication may be discussed for a Cochrane Review at any stage in the process, but ideally this should be discussed with the CSG's Managing Editor as soon as the authors consider this possibility. Any decision on whether or not to agree to co-publication will reflect the input and contribution of the CSG staff, editors, and peer reviewers. This contribution should also be acknowledged in any co-published version of the Review.
Before proceeding along this route, authors must consider the following.
The journal editor may consider the publication to be redundant (duplicate) publication, that is, "publication of a paper that overlaps substantially with one already published in print or electronic media" (www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/publishing-and-editorial-issues/overlapping-publications.html; accessed 7 April 2010). This could potentially lead to limitations being imposed on publication of the Cochrane Review in the CDSR, which are unacceptable to Cochrane.
Authors of published Cochrane Reviews have granted Cochrane an exclusive licence for publication (available in the Cochrane Editorial and Publishing Policy: http://community.cochrane.org/editorial-and-publishing-policy-resource/licence-publication-forms/standard-cochrane-reviews/standard-cochrane-review) for the Cochrane Review, meaning that the Cochrane Review cannot be published elsewhere without permission, and the journal editor needs to be aware of this.
Post-publication': publishing in a journal after publication in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR)
There may be instances when the authors feel that subsequent publication of an abridged version of a published Cochrane Review in another journal would be in the public interest. In these cases the journal is likely to be a specialist publication (reaching a specialist audience) or published in a language other than English (reaching a new audience). Before proceeding along this route, authors must consider the following.
The editor of the other journal may consider the publication to be redundant (duplicate) publication, that is, "publication of a paper that overlaps substantially with one already published in print or electronic media" (www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/publishing-and-editorial-issues/overlapping-publications.html; accessed 7 April 2010).
Authors of published Cochrane Reviews have granted Cochrane an exclusive licence for publication for the Cochrane Review, and the journal editor needs to be aware of this.
A full list of scenarios addressed by the policy can be found here.
Co-publishing in more than one journal
If you wish to do this, you need to first discuss with both of the journals that you wish to co-publish in. Please read the 'Overlapping Publications' page on the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors website (2. Duplicate Publication): www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/publishing-and-editorial-issues/overlapping-publications.html.
Publishing small summaries, such as abstracts
Submitting abstracts to conferences
Published Cochrane Review: If the Cochrane Protocol or Review is published, the author(s) can submit the abstract to the conference without seeking additional permission. The author(s) must include the citation to the Cochrane Review in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR).
Unpublished Cochrane Review: If the Cochrane Protocol or Review is still being prepared and the author(s) wishes submit an abstract to a conference, then the author will need to include an appropriate citation, such as, "This abstract is based on a draft and [pre-peer review/post-peer review] version of a [Protocol for a Cochrane Review/Cochrane Review]. Upon completion and approval, the final version is expected to be published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (www.thecochranelibrary.com)."
Publishing summaries of Cochrane Reviews in another journal or resource (e.g. a 'Cochrane Corner')
Republishing Cochrane abstracts and/or plain language summaries in journals (e.g. 'Cochrane Corners') with or without additional commentary is an effective dissemination tool for keeping specialist audiences abreast of the most recent evidence published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR). Each journal publishing a 'Cochrane Corner' or similar feature needs to request permission to republish Cochrane Review abstracts and plain language summaries, and can do this by applying directly to the Cochrane Library publishers, John Wiley & Sons Ltd., for permission. Journal editors should contact Deborah Pentesco-Gilbert (dpentesc@wiley.com) to discuss the arrangements. Commentaries published in addition to a Cochrane Review abstract or plain language summary should clearly differentiate between the author(s) of the commentary and the author(s) of the Cochrane Review (i.e. it should not appear that a Cochrane Review has been published by a different set of authors). The list of journals or resources with signed agreements to publish summaries of Cochrane Reviews is available (see Appendix 1).
Workflow for co-publishing Cochrane Reviews (including updates) in other journals
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