References need to be entered into RevMan using the designated fields. Different reference types, such as journal articles and books, need information in different fields.
- Fields with bold headings: you must enter something in these fields; leaving required fields empty will result in a validation error.
- Fields with greyed-out headings: information in these fields is optional. If text is entered in the fields with greyed-out headings it will be displayed in the reference along with the required field. For example, the 'date accessed' for an internet reference. Leaving these fields empty will not result in any validation error or warning.
The table below has guidance on the correct way of entering information into the various reference fields in RevMan. RevMan inserts punctuation at the appropriate locations in the formatted reference, so ensure that there is no full stop at the end of each reference field.
| Field | Guidance | Correct | Incorrect |
|---|---|---|---|
Study ID
| Generally, preferred Cochrane format uses family name of first author and year of publication Alternatively, if a trial is more widely known by an acronym, authors can use the format 'TRIALNAME YYYY'; use the year of publication of the primary reference for the trial. | Joyce 2023 RECOVERY 2021 | — |
| Two or more studies from the same author from the same year | Robson 2021a, Robson 2021b | Robson 2021 a, Robson 2021 b (space between year and letter) Robson 2021, Robson 2021a, (no letter with year) | |
| Reference ID (for secondary references to studies and other references) | The 'working' reference ID is not visible in the published review, so it is acceptable to use any form of reference ID that is helpful for the authors while preparing the manuscript. | Handbook Chapter 8 PRISMA Protocol Smith 2020 sec ref 1
| |
Authors
| List the first six authors before using 'et al'; precede 'et al' with a comma Note: when entering authors in the Cochrane Register of Studies (CRS) all authors should be listed when possible. | Smith H, Tavender E, Klaes D, Hinds P, Remmington T, Sparkes V, et al | Smith H, Tavender E, Klaes D, Hinds P, Remmington T, Sparkes V, Moyes D, Bowen J, Suzuki M Smith H, Tavender E et al |
| No ‘and’ before the final | Smith H, Tavender E, Klaes D, Hinds P | Smith H, Tavender E, Klaes D, and Hinds P | |
Authors' names should be written with the family name first, followed by one space and a maximum of two initials. There should be no full stops or spaces between initials, though they may be hyphenated where appropriate. Given names should not appear in full, but be restricted to an initial. Authors should be separated by a comma. It is particularly important to ensure that author names are entered accurately, as they are automatically processed by organizations that receive Cochrane content at publication. Note: see 'Family names' in the section on Names for advice about Dutch and Chinese names, and designations of rank. | Schoenfeld KT, Belfield S, Miller PD | Schoenfeld KTM, Belfield Sean, Miller, P. D. | |
| Committee/Working Group/Advisory Group etc. as authors | List personal authors as above (up to six followed by, 'et al'), then up to six groups followed by, 'et al', if there are more than six. | Fiander M, Royle E, Cracknell F, Mitchell D, Gonthier U, Smith J, et al, Cochrane Central Production Service, Working Group 2, Working Group 3, Working Group 4, Working Group 5, Working Group 6, et al | |
| English title (journal article) | Sentence case: first letter of the first word in upper case; other words in lower case unless they are proper nouns or require an upper-case letter If the title includes a colon, the word after the colon should start with a lower-case letter unless it is a proper noun or requires an upper-case letter (e.g. Epidemiology: Scotland a suitable microcosm?). Do not use italics. | Antibiotics for treating infection The importance of vitamin A Implementing GRADE Vitamin D for preventing cancer: evidence and health beliefs Staphylococcus aureus infection control in clinics | Antibiotics For Treating Infection. The importance of vitamin a Implementing Grade Vitamin D for preventing cancer: Evidence and health beliefs Staphylococcus aureus infection control in clinics |
| English title (book or dissertation) | Write in full using title case (i.e. each substantive word starts with an upper-case letter). Note: titles of book chapters should be written in sentence case (i.e. first letter of the first word in upper case; other words in lower case unless they are proper nouns or require an upper-case letter). Do not use italics. | Sports Injuries and Their Treatment Staphylococcus aureus | Sports injuries and their treatment Staphylococcus aureus |
| Original title | Include non-English title only if provided by the journal or database | — | — |
Journal title
| Write in full using title case (i.e. each substantive word starts with an upper-case letter). Follow Style Manual guidance rather than stylings proposed by the journals or its publisher. Note: enter journal names in regular text in the References section of RevMan, as they are italicized automatically when the review is published (however, use italics in the text of the review). | Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology PLOS One | J Pharm Pharmacol
|
Do not include 'The' at the start of journal names. Journal titles sometimes change; use the title current at the time of publication (e.g. British Medical Journal changed to BMJ in 1988, then to The BMJ in 2014, although both BMJ and The BMJ are entered as ‘BMJ’). | Lancet Journal of Physiology | The Lancet The Journal of Physiology | |
| For non-English language journal titles, include an English translation in square brackets after the original title only if the translation is provided by the journal or database. | Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi [Chinese Medical Journal] | Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi (Chinese Medical Journal) | |
| Issue number | Complete for all reference types when available. | — | — |
| Page numbers | See examples | 324-8, 556-60, 1093-8 | 324-28, 556-560, 1093-1098, and 1093-98 |
| Identifiers | Use of identifiers is optional (they may aid identification of the reference and allow a hyperlink from the reference to the article). Use of DOI generally is recommended, however, you should add the DOI for preprints and electronic publications ahead of print. Note: identifiers are not automatically included in the reference field slots provided in RevMan. When entering an identifier, authors must click on the ‘Add Identifier’ button below the reference fields input table and select the type of identifier wanted (i.e. PubMed, DOI, EMBASE, CENTRAL, or Other). | — | — |
| DOI (type of identifier) | Include where provided | 10.1002/14651858. CD004577.pub2 | DOI: 10.1002/14651858. CD004577.pub2 |