10 | Alternatives to Animal Experiments: Reduction, Refinement, and Replacement Efforts to Offer Alternatives The International Network for Humane Education (InterNICHE) works with teachers to introduce alternatives, and with students to support freedom of conscience Resources developed by InterNICHE to catalyze change include: the multi-language book and database From Guinea Pig to Computer Mouse (2003), which presents case studies, information on curricular design and assessment, and details of over 500 alternatives; several Alternatives Loan Systems or libraries of mannequins, simulators, and software; the Humane Education Award, an annual grant program to support the development and implementation of alternatives; the information-rich Web site www.interniche.org; and InterNICHE conferences, outreach visits, and training around the world Alternatives to harmful animal use are possible for all practical classes within the life science disciplines In many departments, the word alternative may not even be used because these are increasingly becoming the standard teaching approaches—and in some cases examples of best practice—often backed by laws and regulations stating that alternatives should be used wherever possible The multiple positive impact of alternatives means that replacement is to the benefit of students, teachers, animals, the life sciences, and society itself Further effort is required to replace the remaining harmful animal use internationally, but increasing success with the implementation of alternatives illustrates how science and ethics can indeed be fully compatible See also Dissection in Science and Health Education; Dissection, Student Objections to Further Reading Jukes, N., Chiuia, M., eds 2003 From guinea pig to computer mouse: Alternative methods for a progressive, humane education, 2nd ed Leicester, UK: InterNICHE Jukes, N., Martinsen, S 2008 Three’s a crowd: The 1R of replacement for education and training In Proceedings of the 6th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences AATEX 2008;14(Special Issue):291–293 Martinsen, S 2008 Training the animal doctor: Caring as a clinical skill In Proceedings of the 6th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences AATEX 2008;14(Special Issue):269–272 Nick Jukes ALTERNATIVES TO ANIMAL EXPERIMENTS: REDUCTION, REFINEMENT, AND REPLACEMENT The concept of alternatives, or the Three Rs—reduction, refinement, and replacement of laboratory animal use—first appeared in a book published in 1959 entitled The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique The book, written by two British scientists, William M S Russell and Rex Burch, was a report of their scientific study of humane techniques in laboratory animal experiments, commissioned by the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) In this book, Russell and Burch hypothesized that scientific excellence and the humane use of laboratory animals were inextricably linked, and proceeded to define in detail how both of these goals could be achieved through reduction, refinement, and replacement of animal use Russell and Burch’s work had relatively