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Office of Research Services (ORS)

ACC photo guidelines & procedures

Photographing, filming, imaging and/or recording research or teaching animals for course-based research can provide valuable information that facilitates learning and the delivery of information. See our quick reference guide for photographing research animals.

Purpose

These Animal Care Committee (ACC) guidelines:

  • provide guidelines and procedures for photography of animals in housing, laboratory, field or teaching settings for research or teaching purposes
  • ensure that ethical standards consistent with Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) guidelines are maintained and depicted in photographs of animals for research and teaching
  • protect the reputation of UVic as an institution that meets or exceeds the guidelines of the CCAC
  • prevent inadvertent identification of people or animals in procedure or housing rooms, field locations or in teaching environments
  • provide guidelines to researchers and instructors when photography is necessary for journal publications, conference presentations or as part of the documentation of research findings

Privacy & security risks

Images of teaching or research animals, housing facilities, field research locations and research laboratories may inadvertently result in privacy or security risks to those:

  • working with research and teaching animals
  • risks to field animals or habitat
  • in facilities housing these animals

UVic’s reputation may also be negatively affected if images are published inconsistently with the university’s policy on research and teaching with animals.

Instructor, principal investigator or supervisor

The instructor, principal investigator (PI) or supervisor:

  • ensures that students, research staff, volunteers and visitors are aware of and follow the guidelines and procedures for photography as outlined
  • informs research staff, students, volunteers and visitors that they should not post photographs, videos or other such material depicting research or teaching animals on personal web pages, or social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, etc.
  • ensures that photographs collected for research or teaching purposes are stored in a manner that is secure from random access, consistent with current laboratory best practices
  • ensures procedures or activities being photographed are approved by the ACC on a current Animal Use Protocol (AUP)
    • the ACC may require the review of photographs, film, or recording prior to sharing or publication of the images
  • approves the photography of the research animals, and the publication and/or sharing of the images 

Animal care services staff

The animal care services staff: 

  • facilitates and assists with the staging for photography ensuring ethical standards consistent with UVic policies and CCAC guidelines are maintained and depicted
  • obtains permission from PI to photograph research or teaching animals for professional reasons
    • sharing/publication of images must also be approved 

Procedures

Researchers and instructors may be required to photograph procedures as part of the teaching or research program.

Photography of research or teaching animals should follow these principles:

  1. All photography may only be performed with the permission of the PI on the AUP.
  2. To minimize stress for animals in holding rooms, all laboratory animals should be photographed in clean procedure rooms, behavioural rooms or laboratory settings, unless otherwise required by the experimental protocol/objectives. When photography in holding rooms is required, the investigator must ensure that this activity will not affect other research projects in the room, and care should be taken to ensure that personnel are not identifiable in photographs.
  3. Photography outside the housing cage is preferred unless otherwise required by the experimental protocol/objectives. If photography in a housing cage is necessary, then the animal should be placed in a clean cage unless otherwise required by the experimental protocol/objectives.
  4. Exclude or obscure identifiers from the images. This includes cage cards, room signs or other items that might identify a researcher or location.
  5. Procedures, including surgery, handling and restraint depicted in photography must be as described in the AUP, including the use of personal protective equipment. For any procedure, best practices should be demonstrated.
  6. Every effort should be made to show appropriate and accurate context when photographing. If an animal is sedated or anesthetized, include the vaporizer or tray holding the bottle of injectable drug.
  7. Do not use flash photography or flood lights unless otherwise required by the experimental protocol/objectives.
  8. Photography of teaching animals by students for personal use is not permitted.
  9. To photograph research or teaching animals for use or publication of a non-scientific purpose (e.g., public relations), individuals must seek approval from the ACC and university communications. Email the veterinary director.

Where appropriate, the ACC will:

  • investigate suspected violations of these guidelines and procedures
  • recommend or implement corrective action
  • take other action in accordance with collective agreements and university policies and procedures