www.datenbank-tierversuche.de

Animal experiments are widely funded by tax payers' money, but still the broad public has no access to information on what is really happening in animal research. By establishing an internet database we aim to reveal the conditions of animal experiments in German laboratories and to initiate a public discussion on this subject. In addition to this we offer solutions by providing information on a number of non-animal research methods.

A view into a hidden world

Animal researchers often claim that animal experiments are not harmful and that antivivisectionists exaggerate their extent. By providing access not to a secret world, but to a world which is hidden to the public, people can make up their own minds. The uncommented and plain descriptions of the database speak for themselves.

The database proves the cruel and unscientific nature of a research system, which degrades living beings to disposable research tools. Every scientist participating in this kind of research is guilty of this exploitation of animals.

We want to emphasize that we are opposed to violence against man and animals. By naming researchers and the addresses of institutions we don't make those persons vulnerable. Experimenters are public people, often funded by public money. They should not be able to hide from public discussion. The public has the right to know what is happening in the laboratories. We do not reveal secrets, we publish only what is publicly available in scientific journals anyway.

We make animal experiments public knowledge

Many animal experiments carried out at research institutes are published in English scientific journals. Due to technical jargon these publications are not understandable for laymen. By evaluating published papers on animal experiments and translating them into German we make these information accessible to the public.

We search the Medline database for relevant information using keywords, e.g. animal species, German city, author. The original papers are then obtained and summarized.

The database

The database provides descriptions of several thousand experiments which have been conducted in Germany since 1995. The descriptions are based on papers which were published in scientific journals and are listed with title (in English and German), authors (main author marked with *), authors' institutes, type and number of animals, description of the experiment, scientific field and background. Using the database's search options, it is possible to search for a certain city, institute, authors, year of publication, animal species and scientific area. The database is continuously enlarged and updated.

A second database lists a number of selected in vitro systems, e.g. cell cultures and computer simulations. In this way we want to give the database user a small insight into the enormous potential of non-animal research.

The »magazine« offers articles on recent developments on the topic of animal experiments and animal-free research.

www.datenbank-tierversuche.de