Spotlight on Methods - Webinars of the European Cochrane Groups

Spotlight on Methods – Webinars of the European Cochrane Groups

In these one-hour live webinars, our experts present selected topics on the methods used to produce and utilise evidence synthesis, focusing on new methods and recent developments. The topics and presenters are chosen in turn by a European Cochrane Group. The webinars also provide a forum for discussing current methodological challenges in review work and exchanging ideas.

  • Participation is free of charge.
  • We use Zoom – further information on its use can be found here.
  • Registration is required.

Contact: Cochrane Germany, workshops@cochrane.de

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If you would like to be informed about new dates, simply register on the list of interested parties for events organised by Cochrane Germany and select Spotlight on Methods – Webinars of the European Cochrane Groups. We will then inform you in good time when online registration for our webinars opens.

Upcoming dates:

  • 18 March, 14:30–15:30 CET
Speaker: Prof. Dr. Matthias Briel
 

This webinar will describe the development of the Risk Of Bias (RoB) instrument for Use in SysTematic reviews for Randomised Controlled Trials (ROBUST-RCT), a new simply structured and user-friendly instrument for assessing risk of bias of RCTs.  Based on a sytematic survey of RoB instruments published between 2010 & 2021 to document all unique RoB items included in these instruments, and a systematic survey of meta-epidemiological studies empirically examining the influence of RoB items on effect estimates in RCTs, we went through an expert consensus process with authors of previous RoB papers and medical educators in evidence-based medicine. A first draft of ROBUST-RCT was further refined through user testing by junior and experienced senior systematic reviewers. The published instrument consists of six core items, each of which includes two steps: to evaluate what happened in individual trials and to judge the risk of bias based on what happened. In addition, ROBUST-RCT provides eight optional items that systematic reviewers might consider relevant in specific circumstances.

Registration

Further planned webinars:

  • 21 April, 14:30–15:30 CEST
Topic: New GRADE guidance on assessing imprecision in the SoF using decisional thresholds
Speaker: Silvia Minozzi & Francesco Nonino
  • 20 May, 1:00–2:00 CEST
Topic: Dissemination bias
Speaker: Dr. Ingrid Töws
  • 10 June, 15:00–16:00 CEST
Topic to be determined
Speaker: Prof. Isabelle Boutron

Missed a webinar?
Make use of our archive of online methods webinars:

Cochrane Ireland: Dr. Jack Wilkinson "Too good to be true – Spotting problematic trials in systematic reviews" (26th February 2026)