Amber Sipe Source 1

Can animal testing for medical purposes be justified?

Gelpi, A P. "Animal Rights And Animal Experimentation. Implications For Physicians." The Western Journal Of Medicine 155.3 (1991): 260-262. MEDLINE. Web. 1 Mar. 2015.

This article revealed a lot of the history of animal testing and the beginning of the animal rights movement that cause so many people to speak up for what they believed. In the 1970s, the movement took off and groups were joining in left and right to pinpoint everything scientists were doing wrong. This article goes back and forth describing arguments for both sides. For animal rights activists, they fought for the poor treatment of animals. They said prior to and during the testing, the animals were kept in bad conditions and not treated properly. The article seems to mention a lot about the fight for the treatment of animals and not necessarily the tests being done on the animals. On the other hand, for the side of the scientists, they argued that they are in caring professions, fighting for the wellness of humans and developing things that will ultimately help the human race. They argue that the tests they perform would not be acceptable to do on humans. Scientists also argue that testing does have some benefit to not only humans, but also animals.

This source was necessary for my research and thinking process because it laid out the history of the topic and the developing arguments for each side. It brought about the new ideas that scientists are not evil human beings looking to hurt animals; they want to do their job and help people. I have little to no disagreements with the source, as it makes great points from both sides. The source did not fully answer my question, but it led me closer to my argument and the fact that there is a chance that animal testing can be justified. I did not consider the scientist’s point of view and this article reveled that opinion to me.

My research question remains the same and has little to no change. The right questions to be asking are more specific than what my question is right now. I would like to know what advancements have been made since the arguments for both sides have begun. I also want to know the specifics of what exactly each side of the argument is against. Right now my quesitons of how this discussion began and developed have been answered with this article.

Amber -- 

Please remember: sources that don't seem to push your exploration in any productive direction shouldn't be used.  While background information is necessary to your understanding of the topic, it won't count toward one of the five required sources.  Only sources that help you to think critically and find new ways to look at the issue will count for the five.