The Cochrane Library consists of the following resources:

• The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR)
  A systematic review identifies an intervention for a specific disease or other problem in health care, and determines whether or not this intervention works. Authors locate, appraise, and synthesize, evidence from as many relevant scientific studies as possible. They summarize conclusions about effectiveness, and provide a unique collation of known evidence on a given topic, so that others can easily review the primary studies for any intervention.
• The Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE)
  DARE includes structured abstracts of systematic reviews from around the world, which have been critically appraised by reviewers at the NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination at the University of York, England.
• The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL)
  CENTRAL includes details of published articles taken from bibliographic databases, notably MEDLINE, and other published and unpublished sources. CENTRAL records include the title of the article, information on where it was published, and often a summary of the article. They do not contain the full text of the article. About three-fifths of the records in CENTRAL are taken from MEDLINE.
• The Cochrane Database of Methodology Reviews (CDMR)
  The CDMR contains two types of documents: cochrane methodology reviews and protocols. Cochrane Methodology Reviews are full-text systematic reviews of methodological studies. The reviews are both highly structured and systematic. Evidence from methodological research is included or excluded on the basis of explicit quality criteria, thus minimizing bias. Each review covers a specific and well-defined area of methodology. Data from studies are often combined statistically to increase the power of the findings of numerous studies, which on their own may be too small to produce reliable results. In such cases, the review may also include graphs presenting the data from each individual study. Protocols provide place-markers for reviews, which are currently being written. They summarize the background and the rationale of the review.
• The NHS Economic Evaluation Database (NHS EED)
  This database contains structured abstracts of articles describing economic evaluations of health care interventions. The articles are identified by searching through key medical journals, bibliographic databases, and less widely-available literature. A paper will be included if it provides a comparison of treatments and examines both the costs and outcomes of the alternatives. The quality of the database contents is controlled by ensuring that all reviewers work to specified guidelines, and that independent checks on the review process are carried out. The database also includes bibliographic details of articles examining relevant topics, and short abstracts of studies originally included in the Department of Health Register of Cost-Effective Studies. Records do not contain the full text of the original article.
• Health Technology Assessment Database (HTA)
  This database contains information on healthcare technology assessments. The database contains details of ongoing projects and completed publications from health technology assessment organizations. HTA records follow a standard structure. Some records contain the title of the project, with the name of the center responsible and an indication of where further details can be obtained, (usually including both a postal address and a website). Other records contain publication details, with structured abstracts where available. Records do not, in either case, contain the full text of the report.
• The Cochrane Methodology Register (CMR)
  The Cochrane Methodology Register is a bibliography of publications which report on methods used in the conduct of controlled trials. It includes journal articles, books and conference proceedings. The database contains studies of methods used in reviews and more general methodological studies which could be relevant to anyone preparing systematic reviews. CMR records contain the title of the article, information on where it was published, and often a summary of the article. They do not contain the full text of the article.