After considerable reflection over many months, and as hinted at during my presentation at this year’s Annual General Meeting, I have decided that the time is right for me to step down from the role of Cochrane’s Editor in Chief. I plan to leave at the end of May next year.
 
With the successful launch of the new Cochrane Library, new Networks, an Editorial Board and the Scientific Committee all up and running, I strongly believe that Cochrane is set fair. In my judgement, these are strong foundations on top of the strong foundations I inherited. I am confident that this is the right time to change the hand at the tiller for Cochrane.
 
Working together, we have enjoyed considerable success over the past 10 years. I believe that our review production community is working much more closely together and is delivering high quality, relevant reviews ever more consistently. As Matthew Page and colleagues described in 2016, despite the fact that the quality of non-Cochrane Reviews had increased over the preceding decade, we have retained the clear water between Cochrane and non Cochrane reviews in terms of the quality of reporting. I am proud to have made a contribution to our success, but am equally aware that everything we have achieved, we have achieved together.
 
This role has sometimes been challenging, sometimes extraordinary, always interesting. I have had experiences I could never have imagined possible. I owe you all a great deal, and it has been a privilege and a considerable pleasure to serve you in this role. There’s an ocean of thanks I need to say to so many people, but there will be plenty of time for that in the months to come. I will continue to serve you to the best of my ability over that period, and hope that I can contribute to a smooth handover.

David Tovey
Editor in Chief