Minutes of meetings of the
Cochrane Collaboration
Steering Group
Melbourne, Australia
21 and 24 October 2005
[These minutes were approved by the Steering
Group Executive on 28 November 2005.]
|
Topic |
Item
no. |
|
Advisory Group, Cochrane CENTRAL |
|
|
[Advisory] Group, Cochrane Library Users’ |
|
|
Advisory Group, Colloquium Policy |
|
|
Advisory Group, Feedback Management |
|
|
Advisory Group, Handbook |
|
|
[Advisory] Group, Information Management System |
|
|
Advisory Group, Quality |
|
|
Amsterdam mid-year meetings of Centre Directors
and Steering Group |
|
|
Annual General Meetings, conduct and format |
|
|
Campbell Collaboration, liaison |
|
|
CENTRAL |
|
|
Centre Directors’ mid-year meetings in 2006, 2007
and 2008 |
|
|
Centre representation on the Steering Group |
|
|
Centres, report from entity representatives |
|
|
Chairs of the Steering Group, report from Co- |
|
|
Chairs, overlap of; nominations for new Co- |
|
|
Chief Executive Officer contract renewal |
|
|
Chief Executive Officer, report from the |
|
|
Cochrane Foundation operating rules |
|
|
Cochrane Library,
continuation of the CD-ROM |
|
|
Cochrane Library,
national provisions of |
|
|
Cochrane Library,
quality, accessibility, derivative products |
|
|
Cochrane Review Groups, report from entity
representatives |
|
|
Cochrane Review Groups, support for RGCs and TSCs
|
|
|
Cochrane Review, cost of a |
|
|
Cochrane Reviews of diagnostic test accuracy |
|
|
Cochrane Reviews, commissioned |
|
|
Cochrane Reviews, methods for updating |
|
|
Cochrane Reviews, plagiarism in |
|
|
Cochrane Reviews, plain language summaries of |
|
|
Cochrane Reviews, prioritisation of key topics
for |
|
|
Colloquium Manager software |
|
|
Colloquia (Dublin, 2006; São Paulo, 2007;
Germany, 2008) |
|
|
Consumer Network, report from entity
representatives |
|
|
Consumers, access to The Cochrane Library
for contributing Cochrane |
|
|
Contact information working group, proposal for a
|
|
|
Co-ordinating Editors |
|
|
Cost of a Cochrane review |
|
|
CRG editorial teams, guiding principles for |
|
|
Declarations of interest by Steering Group
members and staff |
|
|
Developing countries initiative |
|
|
Discretionary Fund expenditure |
|
|
Dublin Colloquium in 2006 |
|
|
Elections, nominations for Co-Chair of the
Steering Group |
|
|
Elections, Steering Group |
|
|
Entity representatives, verbal reports from |
|
|
Fields/Networks, report from entity
representatives |
|
|
Finance, cash flow forecast |
|
|
Finance, current financial position |
|
|
Financial reporting of charity accounts |
|
|
Financial Statements, Report and |
|
|
Funders’ Forum, disbandment of |
|
|
Funding Arbiter |
|
|
Germany, Colloquium in 2008 |
|
|
Impact factors |
|
|
IMS Support Team |
|
|
Information Management System developments |
|
|
Information Management System Group report |
|
|
Information Management System, copyright of |
|
|
James Lind Alliance |
|
|
Job description, Publication Arbiter |
|
|
Kenneth Warren Prize 2005 |
|
|
Khon Kaen mid-year meetings of Centre Directors
and Steering Group |
|
|
Methodological quality improvement projects |
|
|
Methods Group, Adverse Events |
|
|
Methods Group, Qualitative |
|
|
Methods Groups, funding for |
|
|
Methods Groups, report from entity representative |
|
|
Mid-year meetings of Centre Directors and
Steering Group |
|
|
Monitoring and Registration Group, report from
the |
|
|
Monitoring/review of the Steering Group |
|
|
National provisions of The Cochrane Library |
|
|
Ombudsman |
|
|
Plagiarism in Cochrane Reviews |
|
|
Plain language summaries of Cochrane Reviews |
|
|
Priority setting for the next four years |
|
|
Publication Arbiter issues |
|
|
Publication Arbiter job description |
|
|
Publishing Policy Group membership |
|
|
Review Group Co-ordinators |
|
|
Review/monitoring of the Steering Group |
|
|
São Paulo Colloquium in 2007 |
|
|
Science Citation Index |
|
|
Skype software |
|
|
Steering Group elections |
|
|
Steering Group membership of sub- and advisory
groups |
|
|
Steering Group mid-year meetings in 2006, 2007
and 2008 |
|
|
Steering Group, comments from outgoing members |
|
|
Steering Group, monitoring/review of the |
|
|
Steering Group, nominations for Co-Chair of the |
|
|
Strategic global health leadership opportunities |
|
|
Trading Company Directors, issues raised by the |
|
|
Treasurer’s report on financial and legal matters |
|
|
Trials’ Search Co-ordinators’ concerns re
Steering Group representation |
|
|
Tsunami Working Party, report from the |
|
|
Umbrella reviews, report from working group on |
|
|
Updating reviews, report from working group on |
|
|
Vellore, India, mid-year meetings of Centre
Directors and Steering Group |
|
|
Website development project |
|
|
Wiley, John and Sons Ltd |
Minutes of meetings of the
Cochrane Collaboration
Steering Group
Melbourne, Australia
21 and 24 October 2005
[These minutes were approved by the Steering
Group Executive on 28 November 2005.]
Present (Steering Group members shown in bold typeface): Godwin Aja (for items 10 to 30), Claire
Allen, Lorne Becker, Lisa Bero, Mark
Davies (Chair for items 10 to 18), Jon
Deeks, Deborah Dixon (John Wiley & Sons, for item 11 only), Zbys Fedorowicz, Davina Ghersi (for
items 1 to 18 only), Donna Gillies,
Adrian Grant, Sally Green (not
present for discussion of items 21.14
to 21.16, or 22 to 24), Jini Hetherington (minutes), Monica Kjeldstrøm
(Director, Information Management System, and representative of the Trading
Company Directors, not present for discussion of items 19-20; 21.11; 21.13;
21.14-16: 22.1-22.3; 22.5; 25-30), Steff
Lewis (Chair for items 19 to 30), Alessandro Liberati (for items 15 and 16
only), Pisake Lumbiganon (for item 24.1 only), Dorothy de Moya (The Campbell
Collaboration), Jim Neilson (Chair
for items 1 to 9, and then present only for items 10 to 18), Jordi Pardo, Deborah Pentesco-Gilbert
(John Wiley & Sons, for item 11 only), Nick Royle, Rob Scholten, Peter Tugwell, Herbert Turner (The Campbell
Collaboration), Janet Wale, Liz Waters,
Narelle Willis, Hans van der Wouden and Diana Wyatt (except for items 11 to
18).
1. Welcomes, apologies for absence,
introductions, and approval of the agenda
Jim welcomed everyone to the
meeting, especially the four incoming members (Donna Gillies, Adrian Grant,
Narelle Willis and Hans van der Wouden), and Diana Wyatt
(Secretary/Administrative Assistant in the Cochrane Collaboration Secretariat).
He also welcomed Dorothy de Moya and Herbert Turner who were attending the
meeting on behalf of The Campbell Collaboration. Godwin Aja had sent his
apologies for being unable to attend the meeting for items 1 to 9. Everyone
introduced themselves. Jim explained for the benefit of incoming Steering Group
members that the mid-year meeting is the better opportunity to discuss items in
depth than the shorter meeting during the Colloquium. New members officially
join the Steering Group at the Annual General Meetings (AGMs), but Jim
encouraged them to participate actively in the Steering Group meeting before
the AGM as well. He explained that he, Mark and Steff would take it in turns to
chair the two Steering Group meetings. The order of several agenda items was
rearranged,
although the order of the minutes follows the order shown on the agenda. Items 21.3, 21.8 and 22.4 were dealt with at the first
Steering Group meeting on 21 October; items 15 and 16 were dealt with at the
second Steering Group meeting on 24 October.
2. Steering Group members’ declarations
of interest
No-one had anything to add to their existing
declarations of interest, which are appended to these minutes. Lisa had
provided the template for these statements and there had been some confusion
about sources of funding from non-commercial organisations. Lisa explained that
‘related organisation’ was defined more broadly than ‘commercial source’ in the
commercial sponsorship policy of The Cochrane Collaboration. This is because
the Steering Group is involved in a wide variety of activities of The Cochrane
Collaboration. For example, personal financial ties to publishing companies
would not be a potential conflict related to review production by a Cochrane
author, but would be considered a potential conflict for a Steering Group
member, as the Steering Group is involved in business decisions related to
publication.
Action: Jini
3. Matters
arising from minutes of the previous meeting, not on this agenda:
3.3.1
Plagiarism in
Cochrane reviews: Jim reported that
Mike Clarke had undertaken to write a discussion document on this subject, but
it had since been decided that this was not a high priority item and would take
a great deal of work which Mike had been unable to find the time for. This item
needs no further discussion.
3.3.2 Overlap of Co-Chairs to provide continuity;
nominations for replacement Co-Chair from October 2006: Jim explained for
the benefit of new members that the two Co-Chairs step down from the Steering
Group in different years, in order to provide continuity. He drew attention to
the fact that Steering Group members should be starting to think soon about who
they consider a suitable candidate to succeed Mark as Co-Chair in October 2006.
Nominations will be considered at the next Steering Group meeting in Khon Kaen,
Thailand, from 24 to 26 April 2006.
Post hoc note: See section 1.5.4.7 of The Cochrane Manual for the job
description of Co-Chair, and the procedure to be followed in electing someone
to this position.
Action:
Everyone
3.4 Report
from the Chair: Jim referred to his report to the previous Steering Group meeting in
Providence, as the result of which, Peter, Davina and Lorne had undertaken to
canvass their constituents’ views on whether entities would wish to take on
commissioned systematic reviews should the opportunity arise. Davina reported
that nothing had yet been done about this. Adrian and Narelle therefore
undertook to canvass Co-ordinating Editors’ and RGCs’ views respectively, and
convey these views to the Steering Group by the end of this year.
Action: Adrian, Narelle
3.8.1 Progress
and priority setting for the next four years: Jim asked Nick to circulate a
copy of the Collaboration’s Strategic Plan to the new Steering Group members,
after he had attached new names, where appropriate, to action points.
Action: Nick
3.9.6 Copyright of IMS software: Nick advised that the licensing agreement between
Rigshospitalet (the host institution of the Nordic Cochrane Centre) and The
Cochrane Collaboration for the Information Management System software had been
signed, recognising that copyright to the IMS belonged to Rigshospitalet but
that the Collaboration had complete freedom to use the software. Nick clarified
that the Collaboration would receive a proportion of any revenue if
Rigshospitalet were to license the use of the IMS and related software to any
third party. Nick paid tribute to the spirit of continued co-operation and
support with which Rigshospitalet had conducted these discussions.
3.13.10
Publication
Arbiter issues: Davina reported that
progress had been made with the Cochrane review that had been discussed at the previous
Steering Group meeting in Providence in April 2005.
3.13.13 Contact
Information Working Group: Nick had
obtained legal advice on the matter of access to the contact details of members
of the Collaboration and passed it on. Jini explained that the working group
that has proposed the establishment of the
new advisory group would report to the Steering Group at its next
meeting in Khon Kaen in April 2006.
Action: Jini, Claire, Monica
15.1.1 Guiding principles for CRG editorial teams: Davina reported that she would raise the suggestion
of compiling a set of guiding principles for CRG editorial teams, similar to
those produced for Centre staff, at the various entity meetings during this
Colloquium, and report back to the Steering Group via e-mail shortly after the
Colloquium.
Action: Davina
Mark highlighted the
important progress that had been made now that ISI had agreed to include The
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR) in the Science Citation
Index. He said that data had begun to be collected from the beginning of 2005.
The CD-ROM version of The Cochrane Library is now being wholly produced
by Wiley, and users are being surveyed towards the end of this year. Mark
described a working group that had been set up to focus on improving the
interface of The Cochrane Library; several usability sessions run by
Wiley had produced some very interesting results. There had been significant
progress with the establishment of an Evidence-Based Child Health Journal as a
derivative product. Several copyright issues had recently been resolved thanks
to Nick, and there had been some developments with regard to the possibility of
national provision of The Cochrane Library in Europe. The issue of
CENTRAL would be discussed in depth later in this meeting. The Funding Working
Party was to hold a meeting within the next few days. Jim added that for the
past five years there had been a meeting at each Colloquium of actual and
potential funders, known as the Funders’ Forum. He reported that by mutual
agreement this Forum had now been disbanded, and Nick would be asking Ron Stamp
of the UK Department of Health to shut down the Funders’ Forum website as soon
as possible, or put a message onto the site explaining that the Forum had been
disbanded. There was some discussion about relationships with the
Collaboration’s funders and the need to think strategically in the longer term.
Sally was asked to stress at the forthcoming Centre Directors’ meeting that
they were responsible for ensuring that funders within their area felt
appreciated, and that the funders fully understood they were making a global
contribution. Appreciation was expressed to Dan Fox of the Milbank Memorial
Fund and to Ron Stamp for their contributions to this initiative over the years.
Action: Nick, Sally
5. Chief
Executive Officer – contract renewal
Nick Royle was absent from the following
discussion:
Jim reported that he, Mark and Jordi had recently conducted the Chief Executive
Officer’s annual appraisal and recommended that his contract be renewed for two
years; this was approved. He would continue to have an appraisal annually, and
would receive an annual cost of living salary increase in accordance with the
appropriate NHS scale. The next appraisal should take place before Mark stepped
down as Co-Chair, to provide continuity. Peter said the Co-ordinating Editors
had recommended that the views of all entity leaders and key stakeholders who
interact on a regular basis with the CEO should be solicited in future
appraisals.
Action: Mark, Steff