Be Open about Animal Research Day (#BOARD24), the 24-hour social media campaign, co-ordinated by EARA, took place last Friday, with contributions from around the world by the biomedical community.
Held to coincide with the Understanding Animal Research (UAR) Openness conference, in the West Midlands, UK, it was supported by more than 220 partners, on six continents, the biggest participation ever.
Examples of materials produced for the campaign included a video of staff testimonials on the need for mice in cancer research, by EARA member the Netherlands Cancer Institute; also Q&As from numerous institutions about the relevance of #BOARD24; and a board game, based on Trivial Pursuit, to address public misconceptions about animal research, by the regional ethical committee of Normandy, France.
EARA also held a workshop at the conference (pictured), where participants learnt about the campaign and produced their own statements on the importance of openness.
In addition, EARA staff and social media ambassadors presented sessions on improving institutional websites, and Transparency Agreements in Europe.