cards Flashcards
deontological
based on ‘rules’ and obligation to perform the ‘right’ action e.g. Emmanuel Kant
virtue ethics
the right action will be chosen by a ‘virtuous’ agent e.g. Confucius, Aristotle
utilitarianism
consequences evaluated on assumption that right decision will be the one that results in the greatest happiness e.g. Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill
often used in decision-making and debate on animal research e.g.:
- harm-benefit analysis as part of ethical review
- considering suffering/harms against the potential benefits of research
-campaigning on animal rights and their value to human rights
animals (scientific procedures act (1986)), ASPA
regulates ‘the used of protected animals in any experimental or other scientific procedure which may cause pain,suffering, distress or lasting harm to the animal’
protected animals are:
- any living vertebrate other than man, and any living cephalopod
embryonic and fetal forms are protected:
- in last third of gestation period (mammals, birds, reptiles)
- once capable of independent feeding (fish, amphibians)
- from the point when they hatch (cephalopods
ASPA harms
- thresholds- observational studies compared to interventional studies/ manipulating environments
- procedures are classified as ‘sub-threshold’, ‘mild’, ‘moderate’, ‘severe’ or ‘non-recovery’
- likely harms inc anything which affects the animal’s physical, mental or social wellbeing - regulated above ‘lower veterinary threshold’
- ASPA promotes and enforces the application of the 3Rs (replacement, reduction, refinement)
ASPA ensuring compliance
three tier system administered through home office:
- establishment licence - facilities, premises and governance arrangements
- project licence - a programme of work, valid for up to five years
- personal licence - performing regulated procedures
mandatory training and competency assessment
home office inspectorate
named people
ethical review
animal welfare and ethical review body responsible for :
reviewing all project license applications and amendments- harm-benefit, animal welfare and 3Rs
disseminating guidance and compliance requirements
promoting 3Rs
promoting the highest standards of care and welfare- ‘culture of care’
oversight of all research involving animals
membership - expertise and lay perspectives; HOIs can attend unannounced
3Rs - replacement
methods that avoid the use of animals (full replacement)
replace animals defined as protected (partial replacement), in an experiment where they would otherwise have been used
mixed methods (e.g. cell lines, computational models) and animal models
3Rs reduction
methods that reduce the number of animals used in an experiment (good experimental design, sharing data, avoiding replication etc.)
3Rs refinement
methods that minimise any pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm that may be experienced by the animals (experimental and husbandry), improving welfare, environmental enrichment
3Rs examples
liver chips
- made from a flexible polymer
- inside are tiny tubes lined with living cells taken from a particular human or animal organ
EpiDerm tissue model
- 3-dimensional, human cell derived model to replace rabbits
- an alternative to evaluating chemicals that can corrode or irritate the skin
why ethical conduct of research important
maintaining public trust
protecting participant safety, dignity and wellbeing
delivering high quality research
meeting compliance requirements
effective use of resources
publishers should present null results to prevent the repetition of experiments and waste of resources
research ethics codes
nuremberg code (1947)
- looked at what occurred under nazi germany particularly experiments that occurred in concentration camps
WMA declaration of Helsinki (1963)
- responsibility and expectations of scientists
- respect for individuals
- the right to make informed decisions
- recognition of vulnerable groups
Belmont code (1974)
- tuskegee syphilis study
-> US public study recruited poor black farmers
->400 with syphilis and 200 healthy
-> didn’t give effective treatment just watched how disease evolved
-> many died
research ethics - principles
autonomy - identifying participant groups and potentially vulnerable situations
recruitment methods and considering coercion
informed consent
withdrawal, partial withdrawal, ability to withdraw or remove data
beneficence - individual or public good; group, community or society; public
Ronald Maddison
in the RAF
involved in testing chemical warfare and effects on participants
died due to exposure
