TOPTIPSFORAUTHORSUSINGARCHIEAND

REVMAN5
Background:ArchieistheInternetbasedserverwhereyourreview(s)arestored
andwhereyoucanread,printandcomparecurrentandpastversionsofyour
review.ArchiealsocontainsthecontactdetailsforcontributorstotheCochrane
Collaboration.RevMan5isthesoftwareyouusetowriteandedityourreview(s).
Together,ArchieandRevManformtheCochraneInformationManagementSystem
(IMS),whichisdesignedtoenablecontributorstotheCochraneCollaborationto
meetthedemandsofproducinghighqualitysystematicreviewsoftheevidenceof
theeffectsofhealthcareanddelivertheseforpublicationinTheCochraneLibrary
andelsewhere.
1.GETTINGSTARTED

DownloadRevMan5fromhttp://ims.cochrane.org/revman

TheSupportsectionofIMSsitealsohasaninformationpageforauthors
(http://ims.cochrane.org/support/authors).Thisisanexcellentresourcepage
providinginformationonArchie,RevMan5,GRADEProfilerandhowtostartusing
them.

TakethetimetocompletetheRevMan5TutoriallocatedintheRevMan5Helpfile.

BeforeyoucanstarttoworkonyourreviewinRevMan5,youwillneedauser
accounttoaccessArchie(whereyourreviewisstored).Withthisuseraccount,you
canupdateyourowncontactdetailsandaccessreviewsandotherfilesforwhich
youhavepermissiontoaccess.Torequestauseraccount,gototheArchielogin
page(http://archie.cochrane.org)andclickNotaUser?RequestaUserAccount.
YouwillbesentaRegistrationemailandneedtofollowtheinstructionsprovidedin
ordertoactivatetheaccount.Oncetheaccountisactivated,youcanaccessyour
reviewandyourcontactdetails.

Tip:ThewindowforactivatingyourArchieuseraccountislimitedtotwoweeks
afteryourRegistrationemailissent.Ifyouarenotabletoactivateyouraccount
withinthistimeframe,youshouldcontacttheManagingEditoratyourGroups
editorialbaseorgototheArchieloginpage(http://archie.cochrane.org)andclick
NotaUser?RequestaUserAccountagain.

Tip:IfyouencounterdifficultieswithusingArchieyoushouldcontactyourManaging
Editor,whowillbeabletoassistinsettingupuseraccounts,unlockingreviews,and
generalmanagementofthereviewprocess.

2.SETTINGUPYOURPREFERENCESINREVMAN5
WhenyoufirstbeginusingRevMan5,setupyourpreferences.Todothis,gotoTools>
Preferences.
o

OntheGeneraltabfillinyournameintheUsersRealNameboxessoifyouuse
TrackChanges,yourcommentswillbelinkedtoyoubyyourinitials.

StillontheGeneraltab,intheMiscellaneousboxselectEverysessionforwhenyou
wanttoCheckforupdatestoRevMan.

TickthetopthreeboxesatthebottomofthesameMiscellaneousbox(two
warningsandonevalidationcheck).Thiswillassistyoutomaintainversioncontrol
byensuringyoudonottomixupthelatestversionandbackupcopiesofyour
review.

NowgototheConnectiontabandenteryourArchieUserNameandPasswordand
ticktheboxnexttoSaveusernameandpasswordwhenRevManisclosedunless
youshareyourcomputerwithothers,inwhichcaseyouwouldnotwanttodothis.

StillontheConnectiontab,checkthattheServeraddressissettoArchieServerand
clickTesttochecktheconnection.

Toprotectagainstaccidentaldataloss,RevManwillautomaticallysavealocal
backupofyourreviewatregularintervals.Thedefaultisevery10minutes,butthis
canbechangedinyourPreferences(Tools>Preferences:Filestab).Thebackupfile
issavedbydefaulttoyourcomputerstemporaryfolder,butyoucanspecifya
differentlocationonthesametab(Files)ofyourPreferences.

Tip:Ifyourcomputer(orRevMan)crasheswhileyouareworkingonareview,you
willbegiventheoptiontoopenthelatestbackupofthereviewthenexttimeyou
openRevMan.

Tip:IfaRevManupdatehasbeenreleased,andyouhavesetyourPreferencesas
indicatedabove,thenexttimeyouopenRevManitwillbringupaboxsaying'An
updatetoRevManisavailablefrom...'clickon'download'andfollowthe
installationprompts.

Tip:YoucanspecifythemaximumnumberofrecentfilestobelistedonunderTools
>Preferences:Filestab.

3.CHECKINGYOURREVIEWOUTFOREDITING
o

Whenyouarereadytobeginworkonaneworexistingreview,youwillneedto
checkthereviewoutfromArchietoRevMan5.Todothis,gotoFile>MyReviews
orclicktheMyReviewsbuttononthemaintoolbar.IntheMyReviewswindow,
clickthereviewyouwanttoeditandclickOK.AConfirmActionwindowwillopen
clickCheckOuttoconfirmthatyouwanttocheckthereviewout.Thiswillprevent
othersfromaccessingthereviewwhileyouareworkingonit.

WerecommendthatyoucheckthereviewbackintoArchieattheendofeach
editingsessionbutyoucanalsosavethereviewlocallyinbetweeneditingsessions
(see6.Savingreviewslocally,below).

Tip:Ifyoujustwanttoreadyourrevieworprintacopy(withoutediting),youdonot
needtocheckitouttoRevMan5(see7.Accessingyourreview,below).

4.CHECKINGADRAFTBACKINTOARCHIEBEFOREITISREADYFOREDITORIAL
CONSIDERATION
o

TocheckareviewintoArchiefromwithinRevMan5,gotoFile>CheckInorclickthe
CheckInbuttononthemaintoolbartoactivatetheCheckinWizard.

Ifthedraftyouarecheckinginisnotyetreadyforeditorialconsideration,entera
VersionDescription(e.g.RoBtablesfinished,dataentered)onthefirstscreenof
theWizardsothatyouandyourcoauthorswillremember/knowwhatyoudid,then
clickFinish.Youshouldgetamessagesayingthedraftwassuccessfullycheckedin.If
thecheckinreportsuggeststherewasanyproblemwiththecheckin,please
contactyourManagingEditor.

Tip:YouhavetheoptionofsubmittingthereviewforEditorialapprovalwhenyou
checkdraftsintoArchie;ifyouareintendingtokeepthereviewavailableforyou
andyourcoauthorstoaccess,youshouldnotselectthisoption.

5.CHECKINGADRAFTBACKINTOARCHIEFOREDITORIALAPPROVAL
o

IfyouarereadytocheckinthedrafttoyourReviewGroupforeditorialreview,in
RevMan5gotoFile>Reports>ValidationReportandcheckandfixalltheErrors
andasmanyWarningsyoucan.

GotoFile>CheckInandenteraVersionDescription(seeaboveexample),thenclick
Next.Onthesecondscreen,ticktheboxSubmitforeditorialapprovalandclick
Next.Checkeachboxtoconfirmthelistedtaskshavebeencompletedandclick
Next.

YoucantypeamessageintheMessagebox,thusalleviatingtheneedtosenda
separateemailtotheReviewGroup,unlessyouhaveanattachmentyoualsowish
tosend.

Whenyouhavecompletedalltheabovesteps,clickFinish.

Tip:YoucancheckadraftinforEditorialapprovalwithWarningsbutnotErrors.
Anysignificantmissinginformation(forexample,missinglinksforfigures)willbe
flaggedasanErrorandwillpreventthereviewfrombeingcheckedinforEditorial
approval.

Tip:OnceadrafthasbeencheckedinforEditorialapprovalyouwillnotbeableto
checkthereviewbackoutagainuntiltheReviewGrouphascompleteditseditorial
review.

6.SAVINGREVIEWSLOCALLY
WerecommendthatyoucheckreviewsbackintoArchieattheendofeveryediting
session,buttheremaybesituationswherethisisimpossibleorunnecessary;forexample,
youmaybeunabletoaccesstheInternetwhileyouareworkingonareview,oryoumaybe
certainthatnooneelsewillneedtoaccessthereviewforsometime.Insuchcases,saving
yourRevManfilestoyourcomputerisanoption.

TosaveareviewlocallyfromwithinRevMan,useFile>SaveorclicktheSave
buttononthemaintoolbar.Ifthisisthefirsttimeyouhavesavedthereview,a
Savedialogwillopenaskingyoutoconfirm:(a)thedirectoryonyourcomputer
wherethefileshouldbesaved;and(b)thefilename.Ifyouhavepreviouslysaved
thereview,resavingwillautomaticallyoverwritetheexistingfileinthesame
location.Toresavetoadifferentlocation,orusingadifferentfilename,useFile>
SaveAs,andchangethesuggestedoption(s)asdesired.Whenyouarefinished
withyoureditingsession,savethefileandthenclicktheXintheupperrightcorner
ofthereviewwindowtoclosethereview.

Toopenafilesavedtoyourcomputerforfurtherediting,useFile>Open,orFile>
RecentFiles.

Tip:Closingthereviewwithoutsavingwillmeanthatyouwillloseallchangessince
yourlastsaveorthelastautomaticlocalbackup.

Tip:Unlessabsolutelynecessary,dontstoreyourreviewforalongtimeonyour
computer.CheckitbackintoArchiesothemostrecentversionisalwaysstored
there.

7.ACCESSINGYOURREVIEWFROMWITHINREVMANVERSUSBYLOGGINGIN
TOARCHIE
o

YouneedtocheckyourreviewouttoRevManfromArchieonlyifyouplantomake
changestoit.

Doyoujustwanttohavealookatyourreviewwithouteditingit?Ifso,youcanread
itdirectlyinArchiebyloggingintoArchie(http://archie.cochrane.org),rightclicking
thetitleintheResourcesfolderview,andselectingViewtoreadthelatestor
publishedversion.Youcansave,printorproduceaPDFoftheversionyouare
viewingbyclickingtheappropriatebuttonintheupperleftofthedocumentviewer.

Otherwise,youcandownloada(readonly)copyofyourreviewfromwithin
RevMan.Todothis,gotoFile>CheckOutorclicktheCheckOutbuttononthemain
toolbar.IntheCheckOutwindow,clickthereviewyouwanttodownloadandtick
theboxmarkedDownloadacopyofthereviewwithoutlockingitforothers(notfor
editing)(bottomlefthandcorneroftheCheckOutwindow).

YoudonthavetologintoArchietoaccessyourreview.Aslongasyouhave
Internetaccess,fromRevMan5onyourcomputeryoucan:

CheckoutyourreviewfromArchie

Edityourreview

CheckyourreviewbackintoArchie

Downloadareadonlycopyofyourreview

YouonlyneedtogointoArchietocheckandchangeyourcontactdetails,toread
earlierversionsofyourreview,tocomparedifferentversionsofyourreview,orto
accessaPDFversionofyourreview.

Tip:Onceyou(oranyoneelse)havecheckedoutareview,nooneelsecanaccessit
untilyoucheckitbackintoArchieagain.Checkingoutthereviewlocksitonthe
server,preventinganyonefrommakingchangestothedocumentuntilyouhave
checkedthereviewbackin.

Tip:IfyoucheckedoutareviewfromArchiethendecidedyoudidn'thavetomake
anyedits,youdonothavetocheckitbackintoArchieinordertounlockitallow
otherstoaccessit.Instead,youcanundothecheckoutbyexitingRevMan(File>
Exit)orclosethereviewinRevMan5byclickingontheClosebuttonontheright
handsideofthescreenoppositethereviewtitle.Youwillthenbepromptedto
'ConfirmUndoCheckout'andshouldanswer'Yes'.Alternatively,youcanundothe
checkoutinArchie(rightclickonthereviewtitle>Undocheckout).

8.HELPULDOCUMENTSANDRESOURCES
o

ArchieHelpfile

RevMan5Helpfile

RevMan5Tutorial

RevMan5FAQ(http://ims.cochrane.org/revman/documentation/faq)

RevMan5QuickstartforAuthors(http://ims.cochrane.org/support/authors)or
(http://ims.cochrane.org/archie/documentation/QuickstartforAuthors.pdf)

RevMan5installationandconnectionsettings
(http://ims.cochrane.org/revman/support/RevMan5installationand
connection.pdf)

InformationandlinkstosoftwarerelatedresourcesrelevantforCochraneauthors
(http://ims.cochrane.org/support/authors)

IntroductorypresentationonArchieforAuthorsandeditors(PowerPoint
presentation)(http://ims.cochrane.org/support/authors)