Resources Available to Assist with Animal-Related Literature Reviews, Exploring 3Rs Methods

November 9, 2021

Icon of magnifying glass reviewing stack of textbooks with 3Rs highlightedSeveral tools and resources offered by both internal University of Michigan (U-M) partners and external organizations are available to assist with various aspects of conducting literature reviews, exploring veterinary medical databases and online journals, and finding additional information about the 3Rs principle of biomedical research – refine, reduce, and replace.

Free Materials from OLAW Webinar

Webinar slides are now available to view and download. Additional resources, including an archived recording of the session and supporting materials, will be posted to the OLAW website at a later date.

On Thursday, December 9, the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW), in partnership with experts from the NIH Library and USDA Animal Welfare Information Center, hosted a free webinar to discuss how to find 3Rs methods (refinement, reduction, and replacement) and animal use alternative information in bibliographic databases.

During the webinar, participants also learned how to find journal articles, patents, NIH-funded research projects, and genetic information related to animal models and model organisms, as well as requirements for the NIH Model Organism Sharing Policy.

Green circle icon with pencil and literature review bookU-M Library’s Laboratory Animal Medicine Research Guide

A curated resource from the U-M Library, this Research Guide provides links to frequently used veterinary medicine journals, textbooks, and databases, including:

Study teams may also request a consultation with Marisa Conte (meese@umich.edu), Associate Director for Research & Informatics at the Taubman Health Sciences Library, for assistance with literature reviews or alternatives searches, or to learn more about available resources in the U-M Library’s expansive collection.

Purple circle with conversation bubble and veterinary consultation iconConsult with Your ULAM Faculty Veterinarian

ULAM Faculty Veterinarians are also available to consult with study teams on a variety of matters pertaining to protocol preparation and literature reviews. Specific areas of focus may include:

  • Animal use protocol preparation
  • Animal models of human disease
  • Animal-related research techniques, including possible refinements
  • Species specific behaviors and characteristics

Contact your facility’s ULAM Faculty Veterinarian for more information. If you don’t know your veterinarian, send an email to ulam-questions@umich.edu and your question will be routed to the appropriate contact.