1. @Cochranecollab – almost one year of postings: a survey Megan Freemantle1, Clive E Adams2 1. The Minster School, Southwell, Nottinghamshire 2. Cochrane Schizophrenia Group, University of Nottingham, UK
Background
More results
Timing
The Cochrane Collaboration is an organisation which helps synthesise best evidence of the effects of health care interventions and diagnostic tests.
Twitter is one ‘micro-blogging’ platform used by the Cochrane Collaboration. Username has 43,000 followers.
Retweeting
Tweet
Retweets
Cochrane review
We stand with our Canadian friends & colleagues - please tweet #SaveCochraneCanada to show support. Funding ends Sept
143
#CochraneTraining | Free Introduction to Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses | Online course | 84
New Cochrane Review finds some evidence #chondroitin effective in relieving pain in #osteoarthritis 57 
Helpful matrix for summarising research results presented by A at #cochraneathens 52
#CochraneTraining | Free Introduction to Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses | Online course, 13 Jul-22 Aug 47
20 May is Int'l Clinical Trials Day - find out more & listen to this year's #Cochrane #podcast collection 44
New #CochraneEvidence indicates that electronic cigarettes facilitate smoking cessation 41
New #CochraneEvidence finds that #ecigarettes may help smokers quit or reduce 40
New #CochraneEvidence confirms topical #NSAIDs provide effective relief for musculoskeletal #pain in adults
New #CochraneReview finds low-quality evidence #chondroitin more effective than placebo for #osteoarthritis 39
Methods
We searched for the username on Google (UK) on 17th August 2015 and found the website ( from which we acquired all tweets from the 11th August 2015 to 19th September 2014 (the furthest back the site allowed).
When imported into MS Excel, the spreadsheet contained 828 tweets including dates, number of retweets and favourites (not the time of tweeting). We randomly selected 100 tweets to further investigate for the time sent.
We manually categorised Tweets using our informal impression of the purpose and content of the Tweet.
Conclusion
We did not investigate the use of clusters of Tweets on the same topic or different styles conveying the same information. Nor did we investigate the use of words/phrases of known value, tweet length, the placement of links - all of which can encourage greater ‘click-through-rate’ – a currently agreed measure of impact.
From what we did investigate there are clear problems – but also solutions
Results
Broad classification * N %
Reviews
Advertisement
341
41%
Announcement
138
17%
Blog 2 0%
Cochrane Evidence
181
22% 95
11%
Cochrane News 33 4%
Personally tagged communication
115
14%
Public interaction 18 2%
Total
828
100%
Problem
Solution
Content
Unclear focus of the username
Clarify and define the role of by using different usernames for specified and defined purposes, for example, create usernames
Unclear if equitable policy is being implemented regarding evidence from reviews
Perhaps there should there be a policy of equitable dissemination between groups with strategies to be reactive to events such as production of a clearly high impact review, or global need e.g. Ebola, emergency health care in times of disaster….
Timing/technique
What day the Tweet goes out
Moving activity towards Thursday through to Sunday may engage more people
Many Tweets are not seen in real-time
Micro-blog schedulers
Outcome
The technique of repetition
Could be done more again using micro-blog schedulers
@Cochranecollab Retweet rate is low
The diverse nature of the Tweeting may not promote retweet rate
GROUP - order of frequency N
Pregnancy and Childbirth 11
Musculoskeletal 8
Tobacco 7
Airways 6
Acute Respiratory Infections 5
Developmental, Psychosocial and Learning Problems 
EPOC
Pain, palliative and supportive care
Heart 4
Drugs and Alcohol 3
Infectious Diseases
Occupational Safety and Health
Anaesthesia, Critical, and Emergency Care  2
Colorectal Cancer
Consumers and Communication Group
Eyes and Vision
Gynaecological, Neuro-oncology & Orphan Cancer
Gynaecology and Fertility Group
Methodological
Schizophrenia
Upper Gastrointestinal and Pancreatic Diseases
Bone, Joint and Muscle Trauma, Breast cancer, Cystic Fibrosis and Genetic Disorders, Dementia and Cognitive Improvement , Epilepsy, Hypertension, Kidney and transplant, Metabolic and Endocrine Disorders Group, Oral health, Peripheral Vascular Diseases, Skin, Stroke
1 each
Cochrane review source
Twitter is an enormously potent way of ensuring information product placement. With 43, 000 followers , it is important is used with care, tact, strategy and, above all, evidence.
* “Personally tagged communication” is where a conversation is targeted at a particular person, and “Public interaction” was requesting comment from followers. ‘Announcements’ were for jobs within the Cochrane organisation and ‘Advertisements’ were largely for Cochrane courses.