Ten Top Tips for Animal Ethics Application Success
2. Writing for a non-scientific audience
AECs are constituted of both scientific and lay members, and decisions about applications must be made on the basis of all-member consensus. Submissions that are unduly complex, or are loaded with dense scientific jargon and abbreviations, make it difficult for lay (and sometimes scientific) members to understand the purpose of the study, and the overall impact of the procedures on animals.
The application project summary, which includes the background/context, statement of aims and description of what will be done to the animals, must be expressed in plain English that is readily understandable to an interested, intelligent person without a scientific background. The title should also be concise and similarly expressed in lay language.In other sections of the application, such as the more detailed project description, the proposal should also be expressed in plain English, as far as is possible. Where this cannot be achieved, specialist terms should be defined where they first appear within the text, or a lay definition should be included in the glossary. The use of a medical/scientific dictionary is useful for this purpose. As well as avoiding unnecessary complexity, applicants should also:
- Use direct and explicit language.
For example, AECs prefer the term “killed” to “sacrificed”, or the term “died” to “succumbed” or “were lost”. - Avoid statements that are unsubstantiated or indecisive.
The words “should’ or “might” do not inspire confidence and statements such as “previous work suggests this number may be adequate” should be avoided. Similarly unquantified measurements such as “a few days” or “a prolonged period” are unacceptable. - Read through the application to identify spelling, grammar and phrasing errors.
Often something as simple as a typographic error or poor phrasing can cause enough ambiguity within an application to prevent an approval. A couple of read-throughs, and/or proofing by a colleague, should help to avoid this.
Further resources:
Online Medical Dictionary (Merriam Webster)