Literature searches should be well documented, including information on:
- Evidence from the literature that the animal studies have not been performed previously, or that repetition is justified
- Consultation of relevant guidelines for specific parts of the study
Use The Replacement Checklist (Jukes, Beale & Camp, 2025)
There is more information on Literature searches and systematic reviews and on this webpage about SYRCLE.
More resources
- Krebs et al. (2024): Exploring animal methods bias in biomedical research funding: Workshop proceedings and action steps
- Cassotta et al. (2024): Human-based new approach methodologies to accelerate advances in nutrition research
- Krebs et al. (2023): Author Guide for Addressing Animal Methods Bias in Publishing
- Adapting to Changes in Publishing When Searching for Alternatives and Reporting on Animal Research: A Librarian’s Perspective (Ratajeski & Miller, 2022) - citing the effect of the PREPARE guidelines
- Literature Searching: How to Find Animal Use Alternatives (Resource page from AWIC)
- Advice on determining and describing the scientific background for an experiment
- A worksheet for a literature search for alternatives and more resources from AWIC
- A 6 Step Checklist for Responsible Research gives a useful summary of the overarching principles to be applied when conducting any type of biomedical research (produced by Responsible Research in Practice).