Free Writing

As science and medical research advance, so does the issue of animal ethics. Although once viewed only as sources of food and labor, animals have increasingly gained supporters for their just and moral treatment. For this research project, I am conducting a research on the debate encircling the use of animals in scientific experimentation and how society's views on this topic has changed throughout the history of animal research.

So far, I have researched differing opinions on animal research and articles identifying the pros and cons of animal research. I have also found sources explaining the history of animal research and the ongoing debate and other sources discussing prospects for the future of using animals in scientific experimentation. I have yet to find sources describing specific scenarios for which animal research has been beneficial and the opposite. Also, articles discussing the trustworthiness of animal research and maybe even an article that describes the basic experimentation process of studies consisting animals. What kind of animals are used in studies, which kind of most often used, and why, should also be asked while doing further research.

I am expecting to have trouble picking a side on this ethical debate. As of now, I do not support either although I am an engineering major and do support scientific advancement. I am also speculating that I will have problems organizing the paper as this topic can be elaborated in different ways.

Articles for Research Paper

1.  The ethics of animal research: Talking Point on the use of animals in scientific research
This article introduces the ongoing debate amongst supporters of animal research and animal-rights extremists and anti-vivisectionists over the ethics of using animals in scientific research. It describes the benefits of animal research in public health and medical research. It also explains certain laws in conducting animal research as well as the movement to reduce, refine, and possibly replace animal research.
http://www.nature.com/embor/journal/v8/n6/full/7400993.html

2. The Regulation of Animal Research and the Emergence of Animal Ethics: A Conceptual History
This article outlines the history of the regulation of animal research. Essentially the article lays out the history of the ethical debate over animal research. It focuses on the Animal Welfare Act of 1966 and how the regulations changed over the years.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/771m854192497482/

3. The Benefits and Ethics of Animal Research
This pdf page contains several articles by various authors about the benefits and ethics of animal experimentation. A short article introduces the topic of animal research and the ongoing debate. The second article opposes the use of animals in research while the third article supports animal research due to its important role in medical research. The last article describes the history of animal research.
http://www.indiana.edu/~acoustic/s685/Rowan-1997.pdf 

4. The Ethics of Animal Research: What Are the Prospects for Agreement?
This article focuses on the ethics of using animals in biomedical research as this issue seems to be the most heated argument (according to the author). The author of the article neatly outlines the points of agreement and disagreement between the supporters and non-supporters of animal research. The article concludes with the author's view on how the opposing sides should begin to compromise based off of the points they both agree upon.
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=46377

5.  The Ethics of Animal Research: A UK Perspective
This article focuses on the debate over animal research in the UK, where many animal-rights activists have spoken out against the issue. It focuses on four major points of issue concerning this topic: assessing pain, distress, and suffering in animals; does animal research lead to valid results?; is it morally acceptable to cause pain and suffering to animals?; can we ever agree on research involving animals?
http://dels-old.nas.edu/ilar_n/ilarjournal/48_1/pdfs/4801Perry.pdf  

More Sources: 
http://www.bmj.com/content/328/7438/514.short

Helpful Sources (no full-text) 
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1605074
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2923.1994.tb02729.x/full
http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=EJ320250&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=EJ320250
http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=EJ307510&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=EJ307510

Research Topics

Ethics in the Field of Science: Animal Testing
Although science and medical technology are advancing daily, scientists have struggled with how to test new advances without rousing the issue of human ethics causing them to turn to animal testing. As a supporter of advancement in science, I believe animal testing is needed in order to continue the advancement, but there are people who bring up the issue of ethics in animal testing. Because I do not know much about animal testing, I am interested in researching this topic to understand what animal testing really is and if it is aiding the improvement of society.

Standardized Test Scores: Are they a good way of measuring student ability?
As a high school senior, I had to take the SAT and ACT, both standardized tests, that would score my abilities in reading, writing, and math. Being a math and science oriented person and never scoring well on standardized tests, I disliked the fact that both tests were leaning toward reading/writing. I did not want to be rejected from a college of choice because of my standardized test scores. This topic was relevant to all current college students and will be to all future college students. I disagree that colleges should choose students based on these scores.

Thesis

The Australian Red Cross creatively and effectively advertises their campaign for blood donations through the rhetorical devices of ethos, pathos, logos, and kairos. 

Visual Rhetoric

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1229419/The-billboards-added-dimension--advertisers-bend-physics-make-sale.html

http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/pain_without_borders_cambodia

http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2006/red-cross-blood-box/

On "Fat is an Advertising Issue"

Susie Orbach and her views on the advertising industries' negative impact on women's body image are very persuasive. Everywhere we look, in any ad we see, and on television, women are depicted as beautiful, skinny, tall with long legs, and with youthful, flawless skin. Due to the large presence and influence of modern advertising, young girls and women are led to believe that they have to be the same as described above. Despite the fact that industries are advertising the “ideal of beauty” through the impossibility of acquiring “ideal beauty” many woman aspire these "ideals,” provoking negative feelings in girls and woman toward their bodies.

Everyone wants to be accepted and everywhere billboards and other visuals claim to the public that self-image is important. However through Dove's campaign for “real” beauty that included “diverse, vibrant, pleasing and sexy images of women of all sizes, ages and physical types”, Orbach conveyed to the public that self-image does not have to be “ideal” but simply “real”. Real beauty is one that comes with every woman through their “magnificent differences, their uniqueness, not their sameness.” “Ideal” beauty is one that is fake and “untouchable”.

Advertising industries are wrongly using beauty to persuade their audience to buy their products. They set up a “relationship of insecurity” in women who are not satisfied with their bodies to keep presenting further areas of the body that need to be touched, “coiffed, painted, plucked, waxed, perfumed, moisturized, conditioned or dyed.” Through this “relationship” women will always desire an impossible ideal body and will be constantly buying new products.

Although most models for beauty advertisements are still “beautiful, skinny, tall with long legs, and have youthful, flawless skin,” slowly but surely there are advertisements with more typical girls and woman who do not necessarily meet the “requirements.” Many television shows host women who are not “beautiful” but have their own unique personalities that allow them to be accepted by the public. Whereas in beautiful models they see an unattainable dream, girls and women see these women and are able to see themselves.