Next Seminar

Identifying trends in reporting on the ethical treatment of insects in research

It is common among many fields in zoology to report on the ethical treatment of research animals. This serves multiple purposes: first, to generate reproducible science; second, to safeguard animal welfare; and third, to foster public trust. However, this practice may be uncommon among entomologists, whose research animals are unprotected by law, and who are not subjected to the institutional oversight experienced by other zoologists. Entomologists may thus not be as attentive to reporting on the ethical treatment of their research subjects. Wherein these alternative norms may pose a threat to 1) public trust, 2) animal welfare, or 3) reproducible science, entomologists may wish to review their norms and establish new best practices for the field. To assess trends in reporting practices on the ethical treatment of insects in research, we surveyed 15 journals that publish on insects over a 20 year period, looking for reports of animal reduction methods, anaesthesia statements, information regarding sacrifice, and explicitly labeled ‘ethics’ statements. The data presented here can be effectively utilised to improve transparent reporting of information, ethical treatment of research insects and improve reproducibility.

Craig Perl, PhD; Insect Welfare Research Society

October 25, 2024 @ 4 PM GMT - Register to attend, here

Upcoming Seminars

November 21, 2024 @ 4 pm BT - talk title TBA. Barbara de Mori, PhD; University of Padova, Italy

December 2024 - talk title TBA. Aimee Dunlap, PhD; University of Missouri-St. Louis, USA