Abstract

Let’s be honest. Most score sheets do not do what they are supposed to do. They are copied from generic templates instead of being built around the real welfare problems of a specific model. They may look complete on paper, but in practice they miss what matters. A good score sheet is not a checklist. It is a decision tool. It tells us what to look for, what it means, and when to act, including when to apply a humane endpoint. In this webinar, we will break down why so many score sheets fall short, what actually makes them work, and how to build one that is practical, model-specific, and genuinely useful for your animals, your group, and your science. Less formality. More clarity. Better decisions.

Reference list: 

1. Thallmair M, Duque-Correa MJ, Heimann M, Bugnon P. One size does not fit all: Guidelines for designing a score sheet for animal experiments – eight essential steps. Laboratory Animals. 2025;0(0). doi:10.1177/00236772251374409

2. Bugnon P, Heimann M, Thallmair M. What the literature tells us about score sheet design. Laboratory Animals. 2016, 50(6). doi: 10.1177/0023677216671552

Learning outcomes

• Understand why score sheets are decision tools, not checklists

• Judge whether an existing score sheet fits your model and conditions

• Convert welfare problems into observable, measurable parameters

• Choose the right scoring format for each parameter

• Link scores directly to interventions and humane endpoints