In this week’s Nature, Hanno Wuerbel of the Justus Liebig University of Giessen, points out that although a large majority of the public is supportive of the principles of animal experimentation to improve biological knowledge, human and veterinary health, nature conservation and animal welfare, the public also expects strict adherence to the 3R-principle (replace, reduce, refine) to minimize animal numbers, pain, suffering and lasting harm.

A set of News Features in Nature (444; 807-816; 14 December 2006) identified considerable scope for advancing the 3Rs. Dr Wuerbel proposes that journals could play a much more effective role by including a 3R section in the methods section of published papers: first, to allow authors of controversial papers to detail their measures to minimize pain, suffering and lasting harm in the animals; and second, to allow authors to describe novel tools or techniques applied in the published work that serve the 3Rs.

More details about the proposal are described in the Nature Correspondence. We welcome views from authors and other scientists about the proposed policy.