Author Guide for Addressing Animal Methods Bias in Publishing

Abstract

There is growing recognition that animal methods bias, a preference for animal‐based methods where they are not necessary or where nonanimal‐based methods may already be suitable, can impact the likelihood or timeliness of a manuscript being accepted for publication. Following April 2022 workshop about animal methods bias in scientific publishing, a coalition of scientists and advocates formed a Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias (COLAAB). The COLAAB has developed this guide to be used by authors who use nonanimal methods to avoid and respond to animal methods bias from manuscript reviewers. It contains information that researchers may use during 1) study design, including how to find and select appropriate nonanimal methods and preregister a research plan, 2) manuscript preparation and submission, including tips for discussing methods and choosing journals and reviewers that may be more receptive to nonanimal methods, and 3) the peer review process, providing suggested language and literature to aid authors in responding to biased reviews. The author's guide for addressing animal methods bias in publishing is a living resource also available online at animalmethodsbias.org, which aims to help ensure fair dissemination of research that uses nonanimal methods and prevent unnecessary experiments on animals.

Mitigating animal methods bias to reduce animal use and improve biomedical translation

“…Animal methods bias is a potentially formidable barrier to the broader use of nonanimal research approaches, including those like organ chips, which hold great promise to advance our understanding of human biology, health, and disease, improve biomedical translation, and reduce and replace the use of animals. The Author Guide for Addressing Animal Methods Bias in Publishing 1 may be a useful tool for researchers conducting and publishing nonanimal studies to help establish confidence in these novel methodologies and prevent or address biased assessments. The COLAAB is gathering more evidence of animal methods bias and more deeply characterizing its relationship with researcher demographics, journal impact factors, and research fields.…”

“…An international team of researchers and advocates called the Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias (COLAAB) has recently developed the first of several animal methods bias mitigation tools, the Author Guide for Addressing Animal Methods Bias in Publishing. 1 Animal methods bias is the preference for animal-based research methods where they are not necessary or where nonanimal-based methods are suitable, which affects the fair assessment of animal-free research. 2 The COLAAB aims to provide concrete evidence of the existence and consequences of animal methods bias and to develop and implement solutions for overcoming it.…”

“…Methods Bias in Publishing. 1 Animal methods bias is the preference for animal-based research methods where they are not necessary or where nonanimal-based methods are suitable, which affects the fair assessment of animal-free research. 2 The COLAAB aims to provide concrete evidence of the existence and consequences of animal methods bias and to develop and implement solutions for overcoming it.…”