LAUSR

Publishing a research report is fundamental for disseminating new scientiEc knowledge; and complete, accurate, and transparent reporting is an integral part of responsible research conduct. In order to fulEll their function as reliable and responsible disseminators of new scientific knowledge, journals must ensure that authors include a complete, accurate and balanced account of what was done and what was found during a research investigation in their reports. One of the additional responsibilities of a scientific journal which publishes the results of animal-based investigations is to ensure that no scientific article reports transgressions against experimental animals. These transgressions may take various forms, such as the misuse of anesthetics and/or analgesics and inappropriate methods of care, housing, and husbandry. Manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals have uniform requirements, and journals recommend that authors describe their selection of observational or experimental animals with a description of the source population in their report. Compliance with these recommendations enables objective assessment of the biological significance of the investigation’s results. In 2012, the International Association of Veterinary Editors revised their author guidelines. In these revised guidelines, a compulsory animal welfare element was added because many articles in veterinary journals lacked crucial information on animal welfare and ethical issues. Specifically, these revised guidelines state: