Once the broad aims of the project have been formulated, the PI must then assess the strengths and weaknesses of all experimental techniques which may be used in order to accomplish the research aims. If animals are anticipated to be used in the project, then a significant part of this evaluation is to determine whether alternatives to their use are available or if methods exist which may reduce the overall number used or minimize the total impact of the project on animal use. Federal regulations and guidelines specifically address the issues of alternatives and unnecessary duplication.
Reduction is truly the decreasing of the overall number of animals to be used for the experiment.
Refinement focuses on minimizing pain and distress of the animals used in experimentation. Unfortunately, due to the exceedingly diverse nature of research projects, there is no one correct way to conduct a literature search for a specific research project. The search will be as individualized as the aims of the research project. The investigator is the only person who will have a complete grasp of possible avenues to explore. The investigators is also the only person capable of evaluating which techniques may be suitable substitutes for the research project.