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SDG minutes, 28 April 1999

Minutes of the Software Development Group meeting held at the UK Cochrane Centre on 28 April 1999

Minutes approved on ?

Present: Chris Cates, Mike Clarke (minutes), Jon Deeks, Monica Fischer (chair), Sonja Henderson, Mark Starr and Phil Wiffen.

In attendance: Rasmus Moustgaard, Jacob Riis and Lois Sims.

Contents:
Welcome
Potential conflict of interest
Approval of minutes of last meeting (1 December 1998)
Action points from the previous meeting not covered elsewhere
Update on plans for release of RevMan 4.0 and ModMan 4.0
Next generation of Cochrane software
Next generation of The Cochrane Library
Membership of SDG
Any other business
Date of next meeting

  1. Welcome

    2. Phil was welcomed as the new representative for co-ordinating editors on the SDG and thanks were expressed, in his absence, to Clive Adams for the part he has played in the Group over the last few years.

  2. Potential conflict of interest

    3. This standing item was revisited and no new conflicts were identified. Phil could not identify any potential conflict of interests.

  3. Approval of minutes of last meeting (1 December 1998)

    1. The minutes were approved subject to one amendment: under minute 8, it should be an easy print version of the RevMan user guide (not the Handbook).

  4. Action points from the previous meeting not covered elsewhere

    1. A mandate for the SDG still needs to be drafted.
      Action: Monica
    2. The Cochrane Library Advisory Group has not yet been "activated@ but Ian Watt (from the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, York, UK) has been suggested as convenor. Progress with this needs to wait for the Cochrane Collaboration Steering Group=s (CCSG) paper on the role of Advisory Groups.
    3. Contact directory: HIREX is not Year 2000 compliant and the Collaboration needs to decide whether or not to get an upgrade. If it decides not to get an upgrade, support will need to be given to transfer information out of HIREX. Monica will follow-up on this with Georg Koch David Badger and ask the German Cochrane Centre whether the lack of Year 2000 compliance is likely to be a problem.
      Action: Monica
    4. Substantive updates: the definition of substantive update that is currently used in the draft user guide for RevMan 4.0 is relevant now. It should be discussed by the RevMan Advisory Group (RAG) and, if approved, sent out widely. (This was discussed at the RAG meeting that was sandwiched within the SDG meeting and it was agreed that a message should be distributed).
      Action: Mike
    5. Mandate for CritMan Software Advisory Group: a draft mandate will be discussed at the meeting of this Group that is planned for the Rome Colloquium. It was agreed that there is an urgent need for guidance for criticism editors. Sonja will ask Lelia Duley to send a list of the problems with which software could help to Chris Cates.
      Action: Chris, Sonja
    6. Advice on old criticisms: the Cochrane Reviewers= Handbook should contain advice on what to do with old criticisms.
      Action: Chris, Mike

  5. Update on plans for release of RevMan 4.0 and ModMan 4.0

    1. RevMan and Metaview 4.0:
      1. It is expected that MetaView 4.0 beta should be ready for distribution on 7 May and that the end of the beta testing of RevMan 4.0 would be extended to 21 May to allow for the testing of MetaView. The final version of MetaView 4.0 should then be ready by 21 June.
      2. It was agreed that an official statement should be issued to clarify that RevMan 4.0 will not be developed for operating systems other than Windows 95/NT/98 (ie 32 bit systems). Anyone not using such a system would be advised to discuss this with their Collaborative Review Group (CRG). The statement should also note than the software is Year 2000 compliant and give the recommended computer system specification. The statement will be drafted at the Nordic Cochrane Centre and reviewed by Mike.
        Action: Mike, Monica, Rasmus, Jacob
    2. ModMan 4.0:
      1. Beta testing of ModMan 4.0 is planned for 3121 May to 14 June. A minimum specification is being prepared which would allow for the submission of a module. There will be a meeting of the ModMan Advisory Group on 17 May.
      2. The Anext stage expected to be published@ for a review should be entered to a review by the editorial base. This should take the form Aissue N, year@. This would be mandatory for protocols and optional for full reviews.
        Action: Lois
    3. Module submissions (issue 4, 1999): it was agreed that the deadline for submissions for issue 4, 1999 of The Cochrane Library should not be changed from 14 July 1999 regardless of the status of RevMan 4.0 and ModMan 4.0.
    4. Module submissions (issue 1, 2000): the current deadline for submissions for issue 1, 2000 of The Cochrane Library is 27 October 1999. However, it was agreed that if there is a slippage with the release of RevMan 4.0, this submission deadline should be slipped by the same amount. Whatever the deadline, Update Software will try to feedback details of any serious problems with their module to the relevant CRG within 10 days of the date and will investigate the possibility of offering a date before the deadline from when they would be able to begin processing modules.
      Action: Lois, Mark
    5. Training: Sonja will discuss with the Phil Alderson whether the new UK Training Network could arrange conversion training days in June for RevMan 4.0 and ModMan 4.0 beta.
      Action: Sonja

  6. Next generation of Cochrane software

    1. It was agreed that an application should be submitted to the Framework 5 programme of the European Union for 3 years of funding to develop the next generation of software. This should stress the technical and security aspects of the project and how it will increase the accessibility of CENTRAL/CCTR. This would involve the Collaboration taking on the development of the statistical and display aspects needed for RevMan and a system for compiling the PARENT database. This was acceptable to Mark. There would be four partners in this application: Nordic Cochrane Centre, UK Cochrane Centre (including a UK Cochrane consortium), European Cochrane consortium (possibly led by the Spanish Cochrane Centre), and Update Software (as the commercial partner). Update Software would be involved particularly in regard to the provision of CENTRAL/CCTR and the interface to The Cochrane Library. The project would begin with a needs assessment. The aim is to develop a fully integrated software system using commercial software where possible. Software for specialised registers would not be part of the integrated system but CENTRAL/CCTR would overlap.
    2. Monica will prepare an outline idea in the next few weeks and circulate this to the SDG, representatives of the partners and the CCSG for comment. After revision, this will be sent to the SDG for endorsement. The final proposal is needed in Brussels by 156 June 1999.
      Action: Monica, and all

  7. Next generation of The Cochrane Library

    1. Update Software has been working with several groups to assess the needs for the interface in The Cochrane Library. The main needs are (i) easier and quicker access to the data relevant to the user=s question (different searching and means for output of the search results are being investigated); (ii) interconnection with other systems such as bibliographic databases (this should be possible on the internet version) and Update Software is discussing this with other publishers.
    2. Update Software are likely to continue with a 16-bit Cochrane Library through 2000 and will also have a 32-bit version. The 16-bit version will not be able to contain MetaView 4.0 but would be packaged with bitmap graphs for the defaults analyses selected by the reviewers. The 32-bit version (including MetaView 4.0) will give users the same flexibility of analyses as the reviewer. The CCSG should be informed that this will mean that some users of The Cochrane Library will not be able to view all the analyses available to the reviewer and, if necessary, the CCSG should discuss this issue - Monica will follow-up on this. The assessment of The Cochrane Library should include the use of MetaView and the flexibility for analyses.
      Action: Monica, Mark
    3. It is not clear how the glossaries being prepared within the new CRG modules will be accessed in The Cochrane Library.
      Action: Mark

  8. Membership of SDG

    9. Jon Deeks announced that he is standing down from SDG and RAG. He was thanked for the part he has played in the Group over the last few years. Two people were suggested as possible replacements for Jon: both for RAG and one for SDG. These people will be contacted by Monica and Jon.
    Action: Jon, Monica

  9. Any other business

    1. A proposal that the Nordic Cochrane Centre take on responsibility for the non-CRG version of ModMan will be discussed at the next SDG meeting.
      Action: Monica
    2. It was agreed that the possibility of using a modified version of RevMan 4.0 for Methodology reviews should be investigated. The only changes that this should involve relate to changes to the fixed headings.

  10. Date of next meeting

    11. A crisis meeting was Apencilled in@ for 13 September 1999, and the next regular meeting was set for 3 December 1999 (9am to 3pm). Both of these meetings would be at the UK Cochrane Centre.
    Post hoc note: the date of the crisis meeting has since been changed to Tuesday 28 September .

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