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University Biomedical Services (UBS)

 

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Home Office Legislation

The use of animals in scientific research remains a vital tool in improving our understanding of how biological systems work both in health and disease, and in the development of new medicines, treatments and technologies. Underpinning this research is a strong commitment to maintaining a rigorous regulatory system which ensures that animal research is carried out only where no practicable alternative exists and under controls which keep suffering to a minimum. This is achieved through robustly applying the principles of the 3Rs to all research proposals involving the use of animals.

Topic: Ethics

Animal Welfare

Animal Welfare  is an international scientific and technical journal. It publishes the results of peer-reviewed scientific research, technical studies and reviews relating to the welfare of kept animals (eg on farms, in laboratories, zoos and as companions) and of those in the wild whose welfare is compromised by human activities.

Topic: Journals

Guidelines From The British Psychological Society on the Welfare of Animals in Psychology

Guidlines from the British Psychological Society's Standing Advisory Committee on the Welfare of Animals in Psychology. This was developed in cooperation with EPS.

Topic: Ethics

The Macaque Website

The Macaque Website is a free resource for everyone who works with, or is interested in, laboratory macaques: animal care staff and technicians, facility managers, veterinarians, researchers, students, policy makers and IACUC/AWERB members. Developed by the UK’s National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs), this site provides referenced information and practical guidance on the natural history and behaviour of macaques, their care and management in captivity, and ways to assess their welfare.

Topic: Other Resources

Understanding Animal Research

Understanding Animal Research aim to provide all you want to know about animal research, whether you are a concerned member of the public or have a special interest.

Topic: Ethics

Applied Animal Behaviour Science

Official Journal of the International Society for Applied Ethology (ISAE) An international journal reporting on the application of ethology to animals managed by humans.

Topic: Journals

Research Animal resources (US)

The use of animals in research, teaching and testing is an important ethical and political issue. Much of the discussion about this issue revolves around the relative value, often referred to as 'moral value', of humans and animals.

Topic: Ethics

Procedures With Care

Procedures with Care Website by Newcastle University, NC3Rs and IAT, provides a series of resources to support the adoption of best practice for commonly used procedures in animal research. The focus is on rats and mice but further material will be added to expand the range of techniques and species in the future.   

Topic: Other Resources

European Science Foundation Policy on Animal Use 2001

Over the past twenty years or so, there has been a ‘revolution’ in the life sciences,and our knowledge and capabilities have dramatically increased. At the same time, these advances have raised very important ethical concerns in both the scientific community and with the public at large.

Topic: Ethics

Laboratory Animals

Laboratory Animals is an international journal of laboratory animal science and welfare. Laboratory Animals publishes peer-reviewed original papers and reviews on all aspects of the use of animals in biomedical research. The journal promotes improvements in the welfare or well-being of the animals used, it particularly focuses on research that reduces the number of animals used or which replaces animal models with in vitro alternatives.

Laboratory Animals publishes papers dealing with all aspects of the use of animals in biomedical research, including: new animal models; laboratory animal microbiology; clinical case reports; descriptions of new or improved research techniques; reports on the influence of environmental and other variables on research results; descriptions of techniques which offer replacements for in vivo models; and basic data characterizing the haematology, biochemistry or pathology of new or existing animal models. Papers describing work which involves a reduction in the number of animals that need to be used; or which replace animals with in vitro alternatives; or which represent a significant refinement in methodology, leading to improvements in the welfare or wellbeing of the animals used, are especially encouraged.

Topic: Journals

Hastings Center-Morals of Medical Research with Animals Special Report

 

A special report can be found on this page titled: Utility and Morality:Contemporary Tradeoffs. Within this report there is an article by Bernard E. Rollin titled The Moral Status of Invasive Animal Research.

 

Topic: Ethics

ARRIVE Guidelines

ARRIVE (Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments) guidelines are intended to improve the reporting of research using animals – maximising information published and minimising unnecessary studies.

Topic: Other Resources

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