7.4.1  Reports

Most Cochrane reviews obtain the majority of their data from study reports. Study reports include journal articles, books, dissertations, conference abstracts and web sites. Note, however, that these are highly variable in their reliability as well as their level of detail. For example, conference abstracts may present preliminary findings and confirmation of final results may be required. It is strongly recommended that a data collection form is used for extracting data from study reports (see Section 7.6).