Essentially, this means that, prior to the research, participants must be informed clearly about the nature of the study as well as any risks involved. From this, consent must be obtained from all participants as evidence of their voluntary participation. In this film, there is a dependency relationship since a relationship between the researcher and participant is present. The researcher, Will, is in a position of power over the participant, his father, due to his credentials as an expert .
The 3 R’s of Ethics relating to Animal Research:
The three R’s of ethics relating to animal research signify; replacement alternatives, reduction alternatives and refinement alternatives. These three alternatives were first introduced in 1959, by Russell and Burch in their book The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique. The term “alternatives” was invented by David Smyth, in his book Alternatives to Animal Experiments. The CCAC ethical guidelines are based on Smyth’s definition of the three R’s .
Replacement alternatives refers to the replacement of the use of animals in procedures where they may be at risk. In this film, chimpanzees did not face dangerous risks, although since the drug was going to be utilized to treat Alzheimer’s in humans, it could have used voluntary human subjects