There are good ethical, legal and scientific reasons for ensuring that our use of animals in research and testing is limited to the lowest number of animals, and that those which are used are treated as humanely as possible, while at the same time providing reliable, reproducible and translatable data which is adequately reported. Unfortunately, there is widespread evidence that there is room for improvement in all these areas. This paper describes the Norecopa website, which offers links to global resources which can be used to resolve these issues. Much of the website content is linked to the PREPARE guidelines for planning any research or testing which appears to need animals. Attention to detail on all steps of the pathway from early planning to manuscript submission should lead to better science, improved animal welfare, and fewer health and safety accidents. This will also minimize the chances of manuscript rejection due to inadequate planning, avoiding a waste of human resources and animal lives.
Keywords: PREPARE; animal research; guidelines; quality; reduction and refinement; replacement; testing.
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