Among other forms of communication, institutional websites are a valuable tool for informing members of the public, media, decision makers and regulators about the use of animals in research and the contribution of animal research to biomedical science.
EARA regularly evaluates EU-based institutions’ websites to assess the level of openness and transparency in animal research.
This study is conducted with the support of the EU Commission, which circulates our survey to all EU Competent Authorities, requesting distribution to all relevant institutions. The survey asks detailed questions on the content of any websites run by an institution involved with animal research. These replies complement the work of the EARA researchers, who visit the websites of every individual institution that conducts or supports biomedical research using animals, to evaluate their levels of openness.
The evaluation is built on six assessment categories and highlights exemplary case studies for other institutions to follow.
The categories are as follows:
- Statement on animal research – does the website have a recognisable statement on animal research?
- More information – does the website provide ‘more information’ on the research that is conducted (the name of all the species used and/or statistics on the number of animals used)?
- Prominence – how prominently is animal research content displayed on the website? Can the information be reached within three clicks of the institution’s website homepage, or directly via the websites search bar?
- Images/video – does the website feature images/videos of animals or facilities used in biomedical research?
- Case studies - does the website provide a research case study that highlights the use of animals?
- Extensive information - does the website provide ‘extensive information’ on animal research (such as Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), a high volume of content on animal use, or links to websites with further information)?