New InterNICHE website for humane education and alternatives
InterNICHE launches today its new website on alternatives to animal experiments in medical, veterinary medical and biological science education and training (1, 2).
Available at http://www.interniche.org, the new site is a collaborative, content-rich and multi-language resource. It has been developed to meet the needs of teachers and trainers, students, ethics committees, alternatives producers and campaigners internationally.
The site comprises an evolving range of news, information, database access and downloads provided by InterNICHE. Functionality has been introduced that enables user-friendly upload of multi-language content from all parties, and which facilitates the process of translation.
This commitment to inclusivity will encourage participation from the diverse international community that is involved in curricular transformation. And with all content also requiring a summary in English, the twin processes of localisation and internationalisation will optimise the site’s impact.
Users are invited to share news and information, and to contribute their skills, in order to build a powerful repository of resourcesand experience. A role-based access facility defines each user’s rights to view and publish data, reflecting their chosen degree of participation.
The website’s database resources include the InterNICHE Alternatives Database, which provides descriptions, specifications, and links to producers for over 1000 alternatives, arranged by discipline and medium (3). This valuable resource, available in several languages, comprises alternatives first collated and detailed in the InterNICHE book from Guinea Pig to Computer Mouse (2nd ed.) (4). With further original research it has now doubled in size, with entries updated and illustrated with photographs.
The InterNICHE Studies Database is a newly developed resource, providing references, abstracts and other details for over 750 published studies and books on humane education, alternatives and related themes (5). A comments facility has been established to encourage critique and debate. Both databases can be linked into alternative search strategies for universities and training centres.
Nick Jukes, InterNICHE Co-ordinator, said today, “We are excited about the launch of the new InterNICHE website and our plans for further extending its content and functionality. A dynamic, sharing site and the decentralisation of resources and responsibilities will enhance the effectiveness and resilience of the movement for change. We are confident that the site demonstrates the viability of full replacement, and that its use will quicken the transformation of life science education and training to being fully humane and based on best practice.”
Forthcoming content and functionality to be added to the site include new translations into Spanish, Arabic, Hindi and Chinese; new opportunities for users to upload content and to volunteer on site development; reviews, assessment and on-line access to alternatives; and facilities to support the global network of InterNICHE Alternative Loan Systems (libraries of humane learning tools). New content and functionality will be announced on the news page (6).
Notes:
(1) InterNICHE is the International Network for Humane Education.
Please contact Nick Jukes, InterNICHE Co-ordinator on coordinator@interniche.org, or by phone on +44 116 210 9652 or mobile +44 7552 972 770 for more information.
(2) Website content by Nick Jukes and contributors. Website development by Vadim Danko, InterNICHE Partner. InterNICHE acknowledges the important contribution from volunteers, including InterNICHE National Contacts. Credit is given to all InterNICHE sponsors, in particular the Swiss League Against Vivisection (LSCV), Proefdiervrij, the Anti-Vivisection Union (AVU) (South Australia) and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA).
(3) InterNICHE Alternatives Database available at http://www.interniche.org/alternatives
(4) Jukes N and Chiuia M. From Guinea Pig to Computer Mouse: Alternative Methods for a Progressive, Humane Education. 2nd ed. Leicester, UK: InterNICHE; 2003. 520 p
(5) InterNICHE Studies Database available at http://www.interniche.org/studies
(6) This news release now also available in Arabic, German, Japanese, Russian, Spanish and Ukrainian. Please select language from the site menu.
