The agenda and open access papers for the Cochrane Governing Board virtual meeting on 12 December 2017 are now available. Cochrane's governing body is the Board, comprising 13 members of whom some are elected by Cochrane’s contributors and some are external members appointed by the Board. The Board is responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of Cochrane’s strategic direction. If you have any questions or comments on the agenda, you are invited to contact the Board Co-Chairs: Martin Burton and Cindy Farquhar.