The Animal Welfare Act Regulations, (Federal Web Site) Section 2.31 and USDA Policies require that a written narrative be provided by the Principal Investigator (PI) to determine whether or not alternatives exist to procedures which may cause pain or distress in animals used for teaching or research. In addition, if alternatives exist but are not used, the PI must justify why this is the case. Although searching for animal alternatives may seem to be an overwhelming task, it is hoped that the information in this document will assist animal users with this federally mandated task.

Definition of Alternatives
Alternatives refer to methods or approaches which result in refinement of procedures which lessen pain and/or distress; reduction in numbers of animals required; or replacement of animals with non-whole-animal systems or replacement of one animal species with another, particularly if the substituted species is non-mammalian or invertebrate.

The AWA regulations require the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) to determine that "the principal investigator has considered alternatives to procedures that may cause more than momentary or slight pain or distress to the animals and has provided a written narrative description of the methods and sources used to determine that alternatives were not available." The PI must provide scientific justification to the IACUC if alternatives are available but not used.

Types of Studies Requiring an Alternatives Search
Not all animal use protocols require an alternatives search. Only studies utilizing procedures which result in more than momentary or slight pain or distress require a search. Examples include: toxicity and infectious diseases research, tumor induction or transplantation studies, survival and non-survival surgical procedures, pain research, in vivo monoclonal or polyclonal antibody production procedures, fluid and/or food restriction, and prolonged restraint. This list is not exhaustive. If you are unsure whether a search is required, please consult the PVAMC IACUC.

The written narrative for the search for alternatives must include the following minimum: methods of searching, databases searched, the date of the search and years covered, and key words and/or search strategy used by the PI. If alternatives exist to the proposed animal procedures in the protocol, the PI must scientifically justify why these alternatives are not used. This information must be updated with each three-year renewal of the animal use protocol.

Database and Web Site Searching
Computerized storage of scientific information makes database searching relatively easy. Databases frequently used, and available on-line at UIUC, for alternatives searches include TOXLINE, GRATEFUL MED, Cancerlit, Bioethics, and AIDSLINE (National Library of Medicine), and CAB Abstracts and AGRICOLA. Depending on the subject, searching several of these databases for alternatives is considered adequate by the IACUC.

Problems often arise in choosing keywords and search strategies that will yield the most pertinent information. Appropriate search terms or keywords include animal testing alternatives, alternatives, tissue culture, cell culture, simulation, in vitro, and model. Additional keywords can be found on the UC Center for Animal Alternatives web page (see below). These terms are useful, but are not the only terminology possible. The following websites provide additional information PIs may find helpful in completing an alternatives search:

Searchable Databases and Web Resources: