January 2013

www.abc.net.au

Courtesy: www.abc.net.au

Introduction

Contents

Happy new year to all our contributors!

It's been a hot start to the year here in Queensland and although the night air is smokey, we haven't been ravaged by the bushfires afflicting other states.

In our first issue for the year, we are re-launching our newsletter. Please tell us what you think (send comments to cldooley@bond.edu.au).

ARI review is no.1

ARI Editors vs drug companies

ARI Editor makes history

ARI Editor's new Chair

20 years of Cochrane

Satellite plans

Upcoming Colloquium

ARI review group has five out of the top 10 most accessed abstracts on Cochrane.org

Congratulations! our group has the top 4 most accessed abstracts on Cochrane.org in the last 3 months (number 8 is ours too).

  1. Vaccines to prevent influenza in healthy adults (10023)
  2. Vaccines for preventing influenza in healthy children (6931)
  3. Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold (4524)
  4. Garlic for the common cold (4314)
  5. Antioxidant supplements for prevention of mortality in healthy participants and patients with various diseases (4099)
  6. Gabapentin for chronic neuropathic pain and fibromyalgia in adults (3402)
  7. Cranberries for preventing urinary tract infections (3010)
  8. Zinc for the common cold (3009)
  9. Benefits of antihypertensive drugs for mild hypertension are unclear (2396)
  10. Interventions for preventing falls in older people living in the community (2370)

ARI Editors call for drug companies to release full reports

Lead author of the number one accessed abstract on Cochrane.org, Tom Jefferson, is part of a team of hard-working and dedicated Cochranites who are putting pressure on drug companies to publish full clinical study reports, rather than just summaries of the results. Read Ben Goldacre's article and the BMJ campaign for open data for clinical trials.

 

ARI Editor in the news

In historic news, ARI Editor, Lubna Al-Ansary is one of 30 women chosen to join the consultative assembly (the formal advisory body) of Saudi Arabia. This is the first time ever that women in Saudi Arabia have been allowed membership of the kingdom’s Shura council. Congratulations Lubna!

ARI Editor's new Chair

Sree Nair has been a Statistical Editor with the ARI Group for 10 years and had been awarded the Dr. TMA Pai Endowment Chair in 'Systematic Review and Evidence Based Public Health' by the Manipal University. The late Dr. TMA Pai was a medical doctor, philanthropist, banker and founder of Manipal University. The objective of the chair is to facilitate the synthesis, production and dissemination of high quality evidence of the effect of public health interventions relevant to Low and Middle Income Countries (LMIC). Initially it is for a year starting from January 1, 2013. Manipal University is funding the chair, allowing Sree to have dedicated time to work for public health systematic reviews. Well done Sree!

 

20 Years of Cochrane

To mark The Cochrane Collaboration's 20th Anniversary, a series of videos has been commissioned focusing on the ideas, achievements and people that have contributed to the Collaboration's growth since 1993.

Every two weeks throughout 2013, one of a series of twenty-four short videos (5-10 minutes each), based around nearly a hundred interviews with Cochrane contributors from all over the world, will be released. The first video, "Twenty years of The Cochrane Collaboration: Looking back on the search for evidence" is now available and well worth watching.

 

Satellite Group for ARI

Established in 1994, our group was one of the first to join the Collaboration. Now, with more than 170 full reviews under our belt, the volume of work going through the editorial process is ever increasing. As such we are calling for expressions of interest from individuals interested in establishing a Satellite ARI Group editorial base.

 

21st Cochrane Colloquium

21st Cochrane Colloquium - Quebec City, Canada, 19-23 September