No one can keep up to date with the relevant evidence in their field of interest. The major bibliographic databases cover less than half the world's literature and are biased towards English language publications. Of the evidence available in the major databases, only a fraction can be found by the average searcher. Textbooks, editorials and reviews which have not been prepared systematically may be unreliable. Much evidence is unpublished, but unpublished evidence may be important. More easily accessible research reports tend to exaggerate the benefits of interventions.
The Cochrane Library solves many of these problems. Published on a quarterly basis and made available both on CD-ROM and the Internet (see 'How to get access'), it is the best single source of reliable evidence about the effects of health care.
The Cochrane Library consists of a regularly updated collection of evidence-based medicine databases, including The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, which provide high quality information to people providing and receiving care and those responsible for research, teaching, funding and administration at all levels. See What's in for more information about the contents of The Cochrane Library.
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