Ethics and the EE/SP

Ethical Guidelines for Extended Essay Research and Fieldwork

Guidelines for the Use of Animals in an IB World School

(Excerpt from the IB documentation)

The nature of the guidelines

IB animal experimentation guidelines may be more stringent than some local or national standards for experimentation in schools. Our standards for work in schools should also be more stringent than those of university and research and development committees as we are not carrying out essential, groundbreaking research. Practical work in schools has other purposes such as reinforcing concepts and teaching practical skills and techniques. Even in a practically based extended essay the work will not be fundamental, ground-breaking research.

Live animals in experimentation

Any planned and actual experimentation involving live animals must be subject to approval by the teacher following a discussion between teacher and student(s) based on the IB guidelines. This discussion should look at the 3Rs principle and the decision justified.

The principles are:

• Replacement

• Refinement

• Reduction

Any investigation involving animals should initially consider the replacement of animals with cells or tissues, plants or computer simulations. If the animal is essential to the investigation refinements to the investigation to alleviate any distress to the animal and a reduction in the numbers of animals involved should be made. Experiments involving animals must be based on observing and measuring aspects of natural animal behaviour. Any experimentation should not result in any cruelty to any animal, vertebrate or invertebrate. Therefore experiments that administer drugs or medicines or manipulate the environment or diet beyond that which can be regarded as humane is unacceptable in IB schools.