Responsibility and laboratory animal research governance

The use of animals in experiments and research remains highly contentious. Laboratory animal research governance provides guidance and regulatory frameworks to oversee the use and welfare of laboratory animals and relies heavily on the replacement, reduction, and refinement (3Rs) principles to demon...

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Main Authors: McLeod, Carmen, Hartley, Sarah
Format: Article
Published: Sage 2017
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/47059/
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author McLeod, Carmen
Hartley, Sarah
author_facet McLeod, Carmen
Hartley, Sarah
author_sort McLeod, Carmen
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description The use of animals in experiments and research remains highly contentious. Laboratory animal research governance provides guidance and regulatory frameworks to oversee the use and welfare of laboratory animals and relies heavily on the replacement, reduction, and refinement (3Rs) principles to demonstrate responsibility. However, the application of the 3Rs is criticized for being too narrow in focus and closing down societal concerns and political questions about the purpose of animal laboratory research. These critiques challenge the legitimacy of responsibility in laboratory animal research governance and call for new approaches. With the advent of the "Responsible Research and Innovation" (RRI) agenda, we investigate whether the notion of responsibility in the controversial area of animal research governance could be enhanced by examining the 3Rs through RRI. Our analysis reveals RRI has the potential to helpfully augment the 3Rs in three key ways: recognizing the need to include a broader range of experts and publics in animal research governance; emphasizing the importance for animal research scientists of taking societal, and not just role, responsibilities into account; and acknowledging the political questions animal research raises.
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spelling nottingham-470592020-05-04T19:03:32Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/47059/ Responsibility and laboratory animal research governance McLeod, Carmen Hartley, Sarah The use of animals in experiments and research remains highly contentious. Laboratory animal research governance provides guidance and regulatory frameworks to oversee the use and welfare of laboratory animals and relies heavily on the replacement, reduction, and refinement (3Rs) principles to demonstrate responsibility. However, the application of the 3Rs is criticized for being too narrow in focus and closing down societal concerns and political questions about the purpose of animal laboratory research. These critiques challenge the legitimacy of responsibility in laboratory animal research governance and call for new approaches. With the advent of the "Responsible Research and Innovation" (RRI) agenda, we investigate whether the notion of responsibility in the controversial area of animal research governance could be enhanced by examining the 3Rs through RRI. Our analysis reveals RRI has the potential to helpfully augment the 3Rs in three key ways: recognizing the need to include a broader range of experts and publics in animal research governance; emphasizing the importance for animal research scientists of taking societal, and not just role, responsibilities into account; and acknowledging the political questions animal research raises. Sage 2017-09-01 Article PeerReviewed McLeod, Carmen and Hartley, Sarah (2017) Responsibility and laboratory animal research governance. Science, Technology & Human Values . ISSN 1552-8251 engagement intervention politics power governance expertise other http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0162243917727866 doi:10.1177/0162243917727866 doi:10.1177/0162243917727866
spellingShingle engagement
intervention
politics
power
governance
expertise
other
McLeod, Carmen
Hartley, Sarah
Responsibility and laboratory animal research governance
title Responsibility and laboratory animal research governance
title_full Responsibility and laboratory animal research governance
title_fullStr Responsibility and laboratory animal research governance
title_full_unstemmed Responsibility and laboratory animal research governance
title_short Responsibility and laboratory animal research governance
title_sort responsibility and laboratory animal research governance
topic engagement
intervention
politics
power
governance
expertise
other
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/47059/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/47059/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/47059/