Among the resources on Norecopa's website is NORINA (A Norwegian Inventory of Alternatives), which is an English-language database containing information on approx. 3,000 audiovisual aids that may be used as alternatives or supplements to the use of animals in education and training, including dissection alternatives, at all levels from Junior School to University.  It includes resources of use for laboratory animal care staff and scientists. The database was established in 1991 and is updated continuously.

How to use NORINA:

NORINA is built into this website. Use the search engine at the top of the page. Tick the box next to NORINA in the search filters on the right of the screen when you have performed your search.

Some shortcuts:

• Our favourite products
• Products in NORINA sorted by date of entry
• Free products
• Products on loan
• Reviewed products

Please let us know if you find outdated information or wish to make us aware of products that should be cited in NORINA. For more information, please contact adrian.smith@norecopa.no.

While we make every effort to keep the information in these databases updated, we cannot accept responsibility for factual errors, including availability and price.
We do not supply the products in NORINA or TextBase ourselves. Please always contact the supplier for the latest information before you order.

Norecopa also maintains five other databases embedded in this website:

1. 3R Guide, covering 3R-resources of use to those planning or conducting animal experiments (databases, guidelines, information centres, email lists, journals)
2. TextBase covering literature within laboratory animal science and alternatives
3. An Inventory of 3Rs Knowledge Sources produced by the EU Commission
4. An Inventory of 3Rs Education and Training Courses and Resources produced by the EU Commission
5. Classic AVs (a subset of NORINA covering audiovisuals using older technology)

NORINA was created and developed by Senior Consultant Karina Smith at the Laboratory Animal Unit at the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science. NORINA was taken over by Norecopa in 2011. The work of maintaining the database has been sponsored by many organisations, including the Nordic Society Against Painful Animal Experiments (Nordisk Samfunn mot Smertevoldende Dyreforsøk), Novo Nordisk and the Stiansen Foundation.

Historical references

• A Multimedia Room and Training Clinic was managed at the Oslo Veterinary School from 2009 to 2021, furnished with products listed in the NORINA database, and for the use of veterinary students and veterinary nurse students.
• Awards won by the NORINA database
• Articles describing NORINA and related databases:
  • The history of NORINA
  • The development of databases on alternatives (Smith, 2003) 

For further literature references, see this page.