Before starting a new animal experiment, thorough analysis of previously performed experiments is essential from a scientific as well as from an ethical point of view. The method that is most suitable to carry out such a thorough analysis of the literature is a systematic review (SR). An essential first step in an SR is to search and find all potentially relevant studies. It is important to include all available evidence in an SR to minimize bias and reduce hampered interpretation of experimental outcomes. Despite the recent development of search filters to find animal studies in PubMed and EMBASE, searching for all available animal studies remains a challenge. Available guidelines from the clinical field cannot be copied directly to the situation within animal research, and although there are plenty of books and courses on searching the literature, there is no compact guide available to search and find relevant animal studies. Therefore, in order to facilitate a structured, thorough and transparent search for animal studies (in both preclinical and fundamental science), an easy-to-use, step-by-step guide was prepared and optimized using feedback from scientists in the field of animal experimentation. The step-by-step guide will assist scientists in performing a comprehensive literature search and, consequently, improve the scientific quality of the resulting review and prevent unnecessary animal use in the future.

The study of evidence-based course leadership in higher education focusses on twodifferent areas of practice: higher education course leadership, and evidence-basedpractice. Course leadership is an understudied area of research, with few publicationsdiscussing the role of the course leader in higher education. Although evidence-basedpractice is an area of ever evolving research in many disciplines, there is a distinct lackof research on whether course leaders in higher education apply evidence-based practicemethods in their professional practice. This lack of a pre-existing theory points theresearcher towards classic grounded theory to investigate and generate a new theory oncourse leaders’ experiences. Since leadership, and therefore course leadership, is aninherent complex social process, selection of classic grounded theory as a researchmethodology seems a logical choice. Classic grounded theory has been successfullyused to investigate phenomena in education and in evidence-based practice. Groundedtheory therefore is an appropriate selection for research in education and highereducation settings for areas of research where no theory currently exists. Moreover,grounded theories regarding experiences and perceptions of evidence-based practicehave been published in various contexts demonstrating that it is an appropriate methodfor investigating course leaders’ experiences with evidence-based practice.

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to review the literature with regards to the course leader in small and specialist higher education in the United Kingdom.Design/methodology/approach -First, the role of the course leader is explored, followed by an evaluation of the barriers to effective course management. This is then followed by a discussion of mitigating solutions to the barriers identified. Course leadership is then reviewed in the context of small and specialist higher education. Finally, areas for future research are suggested.Findings -Course leadership in the UK is a role with wide ranging responsibilities, but is underappreciated by the higher education sector. Various barriers have been identified, and some solutions proposed, in the literature, but problems remain.Originality/value -Course leadership is an underappreciated area with little academic literature available, even though issues have been reported since the 1990s. This paper critically evaluates and summarises the issues, and shows that they are still current. It also proposes solutions and areas of further research so that issues can be resolved for betterment of the higher education sector.

Students embarking on a bioscience degree course, such as Animal Science, often do not have sufficient experience in mathematics. However, mathematics forms an essential and integral part of any bioscience degree and is essential to enhance employability. This paper presents the findings of a project looking at the effect of mathematics tutorials on a cohort of first year animal science and management students. The results of a questionnaire, focus group discussions and academic performance analysis indicate that small group tutorials enhance students’ confidence in maths and improve students’ academic performance. Furthermore, student feedback on the tutorial programme provides a deeper insight into student experiences and the value students assign to the tutorials.