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Effective Communication with the General Public About Scientific Research That Requires the Care and Use of Animals Proceedings of a Workshop (2024) / Chapter Skim
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Openness in Communication: Principles, Experiences, and Considerations
Pages 22-26

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From page 22...
... USARO identifies institutions that are striving to increase openness; provides them with platforms to share their experiences, advise other institutions, and spread the message of openness; tracks the openness landscape; and measures outcomes and impacts of openness. When institutions join USARO, openness becomes a shared responsibility and can take many forms, such as facility tours, presentations, and educational events for nonscientist staff and the public; presence at community events; press releases and articles promoting research with animals; and opening inspection reports and records.
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From page 23...
... PANEL DISCUSSION ON CONSIDERATIONS ALONG THE SPECTRUM OF OPENNESS Planning committee members Paula Clifford, Americans for Medical Progress, and Crystal Johnson, Georgetown University, moderated a panel discussion examining a variety of considerations for institutions and scientists when determining how open to be about research with animals. The panelists were Christine Lattin, Louisiana State University; Jim Newman, Americans for Medical Progress; Wendy Jarrett, Understanding Animal Research; and Eva Maciejewski, Foundation for Biomedical Research.
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From page 24...
... Initially, OHSU administration stayed quiet, likely hoping the harassment and allegations would stop on their own. However, after extensive records requests, state legislative challenges, targeted billboards, and other attentiongrabbing actions, the administration chose to communicate more openly and clearly, to tell the institution's own story instead of staying quiet and allowing others to dictate its narrative.
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From page 25...
... More than 120 organizations participate; their webpages use statistics, images, and videos to document research projects involving animals and the nature of their care. The concordat website also offers virtual lab tours and a yearly report on reducing, refining, and replacing animals in research.
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From page 26...
... However, recognizing that openness can also expose individuals to risks of attack, OHSU successfully petitioned the state legislature for an exemption allowing it to redact certain personal information from certain records to protect research staff who work with animals from targeted harassment while still maintaining openness about the treatment of animals and the research process. Maciejewski noted that some institutions may lack the resources to support large openness initiatives, and another participant added that it is also important to be aware of any restrictions on discussing research funding or classified work.
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Key Terms

  • animal research
  • louisiana state
  • public understanding
  • public views
  • animal rights

  • help scientists
  • rights activists
  • negative campaigns
  • negative attention
  • medical progress

  • jarrett noted
  • media coverage
  • information public
  • negative public
  • openness planning

  • openness broadly
  • public educational
  • standing animal
  • public confidence
  • animal welfare

  • discussing research
  • public discourse
  • increase public
  • protect research
  • public view

  • increasing public
  • engage public
  • openness initiative
  • state legislative
  • public universities


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