The Cochrane Library includes several databases containing high-level evidence such as systematic reviews and randomised controlled trials.
It can be searched without a password, and the Cochrane Systematic Reviews are available in full-text.
The main databases are:
- Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, the leading resource for systematic reviews and meta-analyses in health care. This includes completed reviews and protocols prepared by Cochrane Review Groups.
- Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), a source of randomised and quasi-randomised controlled trials. There is no full-text available in CENTRAL, so to check if full-text is available we suggest copying and pasting the title into the Article tab on OmniSearch, and running a search to check for full-text (or request a copy).
- Cochrane Clinical Answers provide easily digestible, clinically focused entry points to rigorous research from Cochrane Reviews. They are designed to be actionable and to inform point-of-care decision making.
For more information on searching, download our guide. We also have a guide to interpreting odds-ratio diagrams found in systematic reviews.
The Cochrane Library can also be searched via the Evidence tab on OmniSearch, and results from the Cochrane Library are also included in searches conducted in the NHS Knowledge and Library Hub.
Other resources for finding systematic reviews and randomised controlled trials
Further resources for searching can be found in our Knowledge Navigator.