Around 10 percent of the scientists surveyed in a study confirmed that they had accepted this demand. This results in an “animal method bias”, a distortion of research results due to the demand for unnecessary animal experiments. On the one hand, animal-free results cannot be published and circulated; on the other hand, the publication databases are filled with animal-based methods that may not have been necessary because animal-free methods already exist. They then repeatedly serve as a template for other researchers to carry out animal experiments.

This is where the coalition COLAAB (Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias) comes in: It is gathering evidence of this systemic problem by working to systematically address it. It aims to raise awareness of animal method bias and highlight its impact on both academic quality and the uptake of new methods. It has also produced an author's guide for scientists, which they can use to argue convincingly to editors.

COLAAB is an international association of scientists and consultants under the leadership of the Physicians Committee
of Responsible Medicine. Alongside PCRM, it brings together the Humane Society International, Animal Free Research UK, the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité, the Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg -School of Public Health, the Fund for the Replacement of Animals in Medical Experiments, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and others.

COLAAB has already received a lot of attention and was honored this year with the Major Science Collaboration Recognition Award from LUSH Cosmetics.

Sources:
https://www.pcrm.org/
https://www.pcrm.org/news/
https://frame.org.uk/latest/
https://www.pcrm.org/news/

Publication:
- Krebs CE, Camp C, Constantino H, et al. Author Guide for Addressing Animal Methods Bias in Publishing. Fortgeschrittene Wissenschaft. 2023, 2303226. https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202303226
- Krebs C, Lam A, McCarthy J, Constantino H, Sullivan K. A survey to assess animal methods bias in scientific publishing. ALTEX - Alternativen zu Tierversuchen. 2023. doi:10.14573/altex.2210212
- Krebs C, Camp C, Constantino H, et al. Proceedings of a workshop to address animal methods bias in scientific publishing. ALTEX - Alternativen zu Tierversuchen. 2022. doi:10.14573/altex.2210211