A Need for Societal Involvement in Promoting a Culture of Care in Animal Research

Evidence shows that people doing biomedical research with non-human animals suffer psychological consequences. A culture of care in animal research demands ensuring the well-being of personnel and research animals, and proposals for ethical oversight, social support, and external interventions to address the psychological burden on personnel are growing. With biomedical research being a public good, and the people involved doing so to advance scientific knowledge for societal health benefits, society bears some responsibility for animal research and could be involved in ways that promote the well-being of research personnel. Society, through citizen involvement initiatives, is increasingly involved in shaping biomedical research more generally, while the animal research community is also committed to greater openness and transparency regarding animal use. These initiatives, in addition to the "citizen responsibility" approach used in criminal justice, can be explored to pursue societal involvement in promoting the culture of care in animal research.