Category Research project
  • Alternativmethoden zum Tierversuch

Joint research project: 3R-Schooling for Methodological Approaches to Reduce Animal Tests (3R-SMART) - sub-project 3

Project status
Completed
Project start
Apr 2018
Project end
Mar 2021
Acronym
3R-SMART
Department
Experimentelle Toxikologie und ZEBET
Website
http://www.bf3r.de

Description and Objective

In accordance with the Animal Welfare Act and the Animal Welfare Experimental Animal Regulation, each application for authorization of an animal experimentation project must be accompanied by a NTS. With the NTSs, scientists inform the general public about their animal experimentation projects and the extent to which the planned projects implement the 3Rs principle. The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment) is legally responsible for publishing the NTSs on the Internet in the AnimalTestInfo database. The content and scope of the NTSs are specified in a template that has to be filled out by the scientists. For the preparation of the NTSs, a written guideline is available to the scientists. A NTS includes information on the purpose, the expected benefits of the animal experiment, the expected harm to the laboratory animals, the number and species of animals used, and the use of 3Rs measures. An NTS comprises no more than 3 pages. Compared to the actual animal experiment application, the NTP is a generally understandable summary of the project that serves to inform the public. Any person with an intermediate high school diploma should be able to read and understand a NTS. NTSs have a significant role to play in the scientific external presentation of research involving animals and their 3Rs efforts in animal research projects. It is the task of the scientist to present complex scientific relationships in the NTSs in a way that is understandable for the public.With regard to the content of the NTSs, there have always been considerable qualitative deficits since their introduction with the amended Animal Welfare Act in 2013. In particular, the required lay comprehensibility is not given in many cases. Since the written guide for the preparation of the NTSs was also unable to bring about any improvement, educational videos were created as part of the 3R-SMART project in order to provide a new impetus for the improvement of the NTSs.

Result

Six educational videos were made as 2D animated films in mp4 format with voice recordings and sound effects. To publish the educational videos on LAS interactive, the introductory texts for the website, the teaser images and texts and supplementary documents were created: Educational video 1 - Why are NTPs written? Teaser The animal experiment application is ready, only the non-technical project summary (NTS) is missing. The NTS is supposed to describe the experimental project for the citizens in a generally understandable language. But what are the advantages of writing a good NTS? Educational video 2 - Why is the NTP non-technical? Teaser A good NTS requires scientists to change their writing style. But where do you start? First, scientists should realize how quickly they can get lost in the technical details of the experimental design. Explainer video 3 - Why does the NTS need to be generally understandable? Teaser The NTSs should not contain any information that would endanger the scientists' intellectual property of their scientific ideas. Therefore, the presentation of technical details of the intended research methods in the NTSs should be avoided. Educational Video 4 - Structure and Perspective Teaser The structure of an NTS is different from a scientific article. What guidance can help scientists in practice? It is important to never forget the perspective of the public. Educational video 5 - Operationally blind Teaser Translating one's own technical language into a language that is understandable to the layperson is one of the greatest difficulties in writing an NTS. Care must be taken especially when using abbreviations, prepositions, and statistical results. A glossary offers help to overcome communication hurdles. Educational video 6 - Mutti is the best TeaserDoes my NTS really convey what I want to communicate about my intended animal experimentation? The "Flesh Kincaid Redability Ease" index and direct lay feedback are good barometers.
Publication of the educational videos The educational videos have been integrated into the 3R-SMART training platform (as part of the LAS interactive platform of the project partner Philipps University Marburg) and are freely available there: https://www.3r-smart.de/index.php?id=6895. Furthermore, the videos are integrated into the AnimalTestInfo database on the applicant's site (www.animaltestinfo.de/antragstellung/).
Type of project

Third-party funded project

Research focus

Alternativmethoden zum Tierversuch

Organisational units and partners

Lead specialist group: Deutsches Zentrum zum Schutz von Versuchstieren und experimentelle Toxikologie (9)
Contact persons: Prof. Dr. Gilbert Schönfelder
External partner: Stiftung Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Freie Universität Berlin, Universität Konstanz , BASF SE, Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing, Gesellschaft für Versuchstierkunde

Funding body and grant number

Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
Förderkennzeichen: 031L0113C

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