scholarly journals Emotions and Ethical Decision-Making in Animal Ethics Committees

Animals ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Tjärnström ◽  
Elin Weber ◽  
Jan Hultgren ◽  
Helena Röcklinsberg
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Animal Ethics ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Ethical Reasoning ◽  
Evaluation Process ◽  
Ethics Committees ◽  
Animal Testing ◽  
Ethical Evaluation ◽  
Animal Ethics Committees ◽  
The Eu

Ethical evaluation of projects involving animal testing is mandatory within the EU and other countries. However, the evaluation process has been subject to criticism, e.g., that the committees are not balanced or democratic enough and that the utilitarian weighting of harm and benefit that is normally prescribed is difficult to carry out in practice. In this study, members of Swedish Animal Ethics Committees (AECs) completed a survey aiming to further investigate the decision-making process. We found that researchers and animal laypersons make significantly different ethical judgments, and hold disparate views on which ethical aspects are the most relevant. Researchers were significantly more content than laypersons with the functioning of the committees, indicating that the ethical model used suited their preferences better. We argue that in order to secure a democratic and proper ethical evaluation, the expectations of a scientific discourse must be acknowledged, while giving room for different viewpoints. Further, to fulfil the purpose of the project evaluations and meet public concern, the functions of the different AEC member categories need to be clarified. We suggest that one way of achieving a more thorough, balanced and inclusive ethical evaluation is to allow for more than one model of ethical reasoning.

scholarly journals An Ethical Evaluation Process for Mediators: A Preliminary Exploration of Factors Which Impact Ethical Decision-Making

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bobette Wolski
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Ethical Dilemma ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Evaluation Process ◽  
Ethical Evaluation ◽  
Numerous Case ◽  
Practice Standards ◽  
Standards Of Conduct ◽  
Specific Factors

Ethical decision-making by mediators is, of necessity, contextual in nature. When mediators are confronted with an ethical dilemma such that they must choose between two or more ‘right’ or ‘good’ but contradictory courses of action, they must take numerous case-specific factors into account in arriving at a decision that they can justify. This article identifies some of the factors which mediators might take into account in deciding what is the ‘ethically fitting’ course to be followed. It provides detailed discussion of three factors which impact ethical decision-making by mediators. They are: the objectives and values given priority in mediation; the approaches or models of mediation chosen by a mediator; and the standards of conduct to which mediators are subject. In discussing these factors, attention is given to the debate concerning the appropriateness of evaluative mediation. Attention is also drawn to the difficulty involved in drafting standards of conduct for mediators. The focus of the discussion about mediator standards of conduct is upon Australia’s National Mediator Accreditation Scheme Practice Standards. As with most mediator standards, inevitably they provide no more than a set of core principles or values which form a framework for ethical decision-making by mediators.

scholarly journals Distributing ethics: Filtering images of death at three news photo desks

Journalism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 146488492199630
Author(s):  
Jenni Mäenpää
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Ethical Reasoning ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Journalism Ethics ◽  
News Magazine ◽  
A Chain ◽  
Visual Coverage

This article explores the practices of selecting news images that depict death at a global picture agency, national picture agency and a news magazine. The study is based on ethnographic observations and interviews ( N = 30) from three Western-based news organisations, each representing a link in the complex international news-image circulation process. Further, the organisations form an example of a chain of filters through which most of the news images produced for the global market have to pass before publication. These filters are scrutinised by the empirical case studies that examine the professionals’ ethical reasoning regarding images of violence and death. This research contributes to an understanding of the differences and similarities between media organisations as filters and sheds light on their role in shaping visual coverage. This study concludes that photojournalism professionals’ ethical decision-making is discursively constructed around three frames: (1) shared ethics, (2) relative ethics and (3) distributed ethics. All the organisations share certain similar conceptions of journalism ethics at the level of ideals. On the level of workplace practices and routines, a mixture of practical preconditions, journalism’s self-regulation, business logic and national legislation lead to differences in the image selection practices. It is argued that the ethical decision-making is distributed between – and sometimes even outsourced to – colleagues working in different parts of the filtering chain. Finally, this study suggests that dead or suffering bodies are often invisible in the images of the studied media organisations.

Does Class Matter? The Effect of Social Class on Journalists' Ethical Decision Making

2009 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 654-672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Correa
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Social Class ◽  
Social Identity ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Ethical Reasoning ◽  
News Stories ◽  
Psychological Mechanisms ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Ethical Thinking

This study investigated experimentally whether social class of people who appear in news stories influences Chilean journalists' ethical reasoning. Based on schema, social identity, and moral development theories, it found that journalists applied lower levels of ethical reasoning when faced with an ethical dilemma associated with the poor, an effect moderated by participants' involvement in the story. Psychological mechanisms—such as involvement, mental elaboration about stories' subjects, and identification with them—influenced participants' ethical thinking.

Foundational Elements of an Ethical Decision-Making Model Applied in the Biopharmaceutical Context

2021 ◽  
Vol 66 (Special Issue) ◽  
pp. 178-179
Author(s):  
Claar Van Der Zee ◽  
◽  
Tatjana Poplazarova ◽  
Veronique Delpire ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Ethical Reasoning ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Moral Agents ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Societal Context ◽  
Ethical Norms ◽  
Societal Expectations ◽  
Decision Making Model

"We previously described an applied values-based decision-making model and reported on its use in biopharmaceutical research and development (R&D)*. The model, known by the acronym “TRIP &TIPP”, uses company values along with framing questions as part of a five-step process to guide decisions to complex questions. The employees are engaged as moral agents applying values and principles. Their moral intuition is guided by systematic use of explicit framing questions to increase the understanding and clarity of the values and contextual questions to facilitate the practical implementation of solutions. Sometimes these solutions lead to the creation of internal guidelines in the company. The ethical norms for biopharmaceutical R&D are shaped by the interaction between ethical reasoning and the context of the situation. Several levels of context are relevant here. First, that of the company within society, which is represented by the stakeholders in our model. This societal context is dynamic as societal expectations change over time. Second, the context of the employees within the company: how the company is organized, its mission, vision and values, as well as the capabilities, experiences and beliefs of the employees. Third, the specifics of the R&D question itself, which requires a pragmatic, solution-oriented, bioethical approach. Finally, ethical deliberation leads to evolving company practices addressing science, technology and society changes. "

Assessing the Search for and Implementation of the Three Rs: A Survey among Scientists

2009 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 297-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marlies Leenaars ◽  
Bart Savenije ◽  
Anne Nagtegaal ◽  
Lilian van der Vaart ◽  
Merel Ritskes-Hoitinga
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Animal ◽  
Animal Ethics ◽  
Current Practice ◽  
Ethics Committees ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
Animal Science ◽  
Animal Ethics Committees ◽  
European Laboratory ◽  
The Three Rs ◽  
Laboratory Animal Science

A survey among scientists into the current practice of searching for Replacement, Reduction and Refinement (Three Rs) alternatives, highlights the gap between the statutory required need to apply the Three Rs concept whenever possible and the lack of criteria for searching for Three Rs alternatives. A questionnaire was distributed to 342 scientists (Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations [FELASA] Category C and B individuals), of which 67 responded. These scientists are customers of the Central Animal Laboratory of Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre. The results indicate that there is room for improvement in searching effectively for the Three Rs: skills in searching biomedical databases for Three Rs alternatives are limited, knowledge of specialised Three Rs databases is very limited, and satisfaction on the availability and accessibility of Three Rs information is low. None of the respondents allocate budget for a specific Three Rs alternatives search, although 50% do spend, on average, two hours engaged in this search for each application to their animal ethics committees. The majority of the respondents expressed the wish that the search for alternatives could be easier and less time consuming, and prefer to achieve this through the service offered by specialists at the Central Animal Laboratory. On the basis of the results from the questionnaire, the 3R Research Centre was established, with the aim of providing services and support for bio-medical scientists, to improve the search for, and subsequent implementation of, the Three Rs.

Mapping French Laypeople’s Views on Nonhuman Animal Experimentation

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 272-290
Author(s):  
Maria Teresa Muñoz Sastre ◽  
Paul Clay Sorum ◽  
Etienne Mullet
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Animal Ethics ◽  
Ethics Committees ◽  
Animal Experimentation ◽  
Nonhuman Animal ◽  
Experimental Protocol ◽  
Animal Ethics Committees ◽  
Factor Design ◽  
Acceptability Judgments

Abstract French positions regarding nonhuman animal experimentation were examined. A total of 163 participants were presented with 72 vignettes depicting an experimental protocol. They were composed according to a five-factor design: (a) the fate of the animal (e.g., was sacrificed for the purpose of further analyses), (b) environment in which the animal was raised, (c) main objective of the experiment (purely theoretical vs. therapeutic), (d) degree of pain inflicted, and (e) species involved (rabbit, coyote, or chimpanzee). Through cluster analysis of participants’ acceptability judgments, six qualitatively different positions were found. Four had already been described by observation of the functioning of animal ethics committees: Animals have Rights, Ethics in the name of Animals, Ethics in the name of Patients, and Ethics in the name of Science. Female participants held the Animals-have-Rights position three times more often than males. Male participants held an Ethics-in-the-name-of-Science position four times more often than females.

Physicians’ standpoints on end-of-life decisions at the neonatal intensive care units in Jordan

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 579-595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadin M Abdel Razeq
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Intensive Care Units ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care ◽  
Life Support ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Ethics Committees ◽  
Cross Sectional

The purpose of this cross-sectional descriptive study is to explore pediatricians’ and neonatologists’ attitudes and standpoints on end-of-life (EOL) decision-making in neonates. Seventy-five physicians, employed fulltime to care for newborns in 23 hospitals in Jordan, completed internationally accepted questionnaires. Most physicians (75%) were supportive of using life-sustaining interventions, irrespective of the severity of the newborns’ prognosis and the potential burden of the neonates’ disabilities on their families. The general attitude of the physicians (59–88%) was against making decisions that limit life support at EOL; even those infants with what are, in fact, untreatable and disabling medical conditions (56–88%). Most physicians (77%) indicated that ethics committees should be involved in EOL decision-making based on requests from parents, physicians, or both. The results of this study indicate strong pro-life attitudes among the physicians whose role is to take care of infants in Jordan. The results also emphasize the need for (1) the creation of clear EOL–focused regulations and guidelines, (2) the establishment of special ethical committees to inform and assist healthcare providers’ efforts during EOL care, and (3) raised awareness and competencies regarding EOL and ethical decision-making among physicians taking care of newborns in Jordan’s intensive care units.

The value of Animal Ethics Committees for wildlife research in conservation biology - an Australian perspective

2003 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan E. Dyson ◽  
Michael C. Calver
Keyword(s):  
Conservation Biology ◽  
Animal Ethics ◽  
Ethics Committees ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
Ecological Studies ◽  
Code Of Practice ◽  
Animal Ethics Committees ◽  
Australian Universities

ANIMAL Ethics Committees evaluate research proposals according to the Australian Code of Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes (NHMRC 1997). All Australian universities, the CSIRO, many agencies controlled by the states and other organizations adhere to the specifications. The 1997 revision of the Code of Practice explicitly broadened its scope from laboratory animals to include field-based ecological studies, such as those conducted by conservation biologists. However, in defining an animal as "any live non-human vertebrate" invertebrates are excluded by the Code.

The use of animals in research: counting the costs and the benefits

2004 ◽  
Vol 44 (11) ◽  
pp. 1079 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. D. Rickard
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Animal Ethics ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Ethics Committees ◽  
Benefit Analysis ◽  
Economic Gain ◽  
Animal Ethics Committees ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact

The Australian Code of Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes requires Animal Ethics Committees to assess the merits of any research proposal involving the use of sentient animals. As part of that assessment they should make a judgment as to whether or not the costs to the welfare of the experimental animals are outweighed by the benefits of the predicted experimental outcome (i.e. conduct a cost–benefit analysis). This paper describes one approach that has been proposed to assist Animal Ethics Committees to take all factors into account when making this judgment. When agricultural animals are used in research the potential benefits are usually measured in terms of improved health and welfare or increased productivity when the research outcomes are applied to other animals reared in agricultural enterprises. When the aim of a project is to improve the health and welfare of the animals (i.e. ‘animal benefit’), the benefits are usually obvious and counting the cost is straightforward even if the impact on the animals under experimentation is quite extreme (e.g. death as an unavoidable endpoint in a vaccination experiment). Where the benefits accrue solely in terms of increased productivity or economic gain (i.e. ‘human benefit’), then balancing the costs and the benefits can be more problematical because people’s personal beliefs and their orientation towards animal welfare influence their assessment. Economists indicate that it is not increased productivity per se that generates value but consumption. Therefore, consumer perceptions of any adverse impact that gains in productivity have on the welfare of farmed animals can play a significant role in determining the ultimate benefit (value) of a particular piece of research with the sole aim to increase production and economic gain. This paper will explore some postulated relationships between productivity and animal welfare which could influence consumer preferences and hence the cost–benefit analysis.

Ethical Considerations for Common Mouse Models of Cancer (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyed Mohammad Kazem Aghamir Sr ◽  
Fatemeh Khatami ◽  
Mahan Asadian Sr ◽  
Rahil Mashhadi ◽  
Behta Pakseresht Keshavarz
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Mouse Models ◽  
Animal Ethics ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Ethics Committees ◽  
Animal Research ◽  
Complete Analysis ◽  
Ethical Review ◽  
Animal Ethics Committees ◽  
Mouse Models Of Cancer

BACKGROUND Animal Ethics Committees (AECs) are concerning possibilities for public participation in the regulation of animal research. AECs are accountable for approving and monitoring research within Accredited Animal Research Establishments (AARE) (https://www.animalethics.org.au/animal-ethics-committees). In the way of making mouse models of cancer, several new considerations should be mentioned before the study design. OBJECTIVE To consider both personnel and animal welfare decisions at each stage of making mouse models of cancer, it is essential to have comprehensive information on the animal models. METHODS Three main cancer models are including; chemically induced mouse models, genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs), xenograft nude mice, and Avatar. Some genetic changes in GEMMs are passing through next generations and not only do they have pain and suffering but also, they impose some environmental changes on mice. RESULTS Several phenotypes are required regarding the target of tumor model that expressed research are typically wisely investigated, but those that have an influence on the animal's welfare but have little or no effect on the disease procedure are often less carefully considered. CONCLUSIONS Complete analysis and regulations of animal welfare can offer beneficial information for researchers. This information is similarly essential to allow members of the institutional animal care and use committee to make necessary cost: benefit ethical review of animal studies. CLINICALTRIAL Not Applicable

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