Animal Research In Primates: Problems And Methodologies

Research problems and Collected Literature

Discuss about the Animal Research in Primates.

The vast majority of the researches worldwide are carried on primates. The number of primates that are used in the medical research had always remained fairly constant from years long. Most of the monkeys are been used by the pharmaceutical companies for testing the effectiveness and safety of the vaccines and drugs for the use of human beings. There are many laws that need that such projects are been tested on the animals before their clinical trials in the human beings. In the year 2004, there were around 288 monkeys used in the key scientific researches that aimed at the understanding of the human diseases and functions (Mars et al. 2016). It was about 0.01% of the total animals used. The purpose of this research paper is to derive the methodology for the thesis.  The study is based on an Animal Research in Primates. This particular study includes a detailed review and the analysis of the methodology. Based on the analysis, appropriate solutions are developed. Thereafter, the research provides a complete description of different methodises and the techniques selected for the identified issues.

As the study is based on the research of primates, there are several argumentative facts associated with this topic. The research includes a set of methodologies and department. Several studies have been performed on the evolution and arrival of animals. The major risks that are associated with this research are the ones of safety and certain accidental risks for the animals. It is also identified that the fundamentals of “Replace, Reduce and Refine remains as the major common place in the animal research community. The major problem found in animal research is that form of animal research in primates is completely unjustifiable to the belief that it is acceptable. It is particularly monitored to cause minimal suffering to the animals and all the risks associated with their accidents and security are to be monitored. Some of the animal right organizations are trying to prevent the initiative of such research showing the cause of irrelevance, risk of leading primates in the endangered state and unethical use of the animals.

Comparing and Contrasting of methodologies

Quantitative research methodology

It has been identified that the quantitative research methodology helps to explain and measure the range of occurrence based on numbers and calculations. Some particular questions are usually used in quantitative research methodology such as “how often” and “how any”. Bryman (2017) mentioned that quantitative research methodology is broadly based on the numbers as well as the mathematical calculations. On the other side McCusker and Gunaydin (2015), mentioned that quantitative studies can be described as the collection of numerical data and demonstration of the relationship between the theories, research as deductive as well as predication for the natural science. As the feature of quantitative data collection method, this methodology is mainly based on the random sampling and structure data gathering technique instruments (Bernard 2017). So, the finding of quantitative c studies are typically easy to present and summarize.

Organizing the collected structure

Qualitative Research Methodology

The qualitative data collection techniques remain naturally exploratory and mainly concerned with gaining understanding on the underlying reasons and motivations. It is identified that qualitative data collection techniques typically emerged after when it becomes traditional quantitative data collection methods, which were not capable of expressing human feelings and emotions. Creswell and Creswell (2017) acclaimed the qualitative method with acceptance of abstraction and generalisation. On the other side, Corbin, Strauss and Strauss (2014) specialize the visions, images forms and structure of different media, spoken and printed words.  It is also identified that qualitative technique” mainly regarded as rich data about real life people and the situations that are capable of making sense of certain behaviour as well as understand the behaviour with its large context. Nonetheless, Lewis (2015) commended that qualitative study method is often criticized for lacking generalizability, which is being very reliant on the subjective interpretation of studies. Some particular qualitative data collection techniques used in the research studies may include focus groups, interview, action research and observation. In addition to this, the “grounded theory” and “document analysis” can also be used as the data ad information gathering technique in the qualitative studies (Merriam 2015). The following table shows that the major sources and procedures related to the most popular qualitative method as presented in the table below.

Figure 1: The major sources of qualitative research methodology

(Source: McCusker and Gunaydin 2015)

The following image shows some of the major difference of qualitative and quantitative research methodology.

Figure 2: Contrasting features of quantitative and qualitative research methodology

(Source: Bernard 2017)

Type of methodology selected for the project and justification 

For the present research quantitative research methodology is considered to be used because this qualitative research technique provides a detailed description of the research context. The qualitative research methodology includes a set of open-ended research questions, which helps to derive undiscovered facts about the research in primates. In addition to this, the qualitative research method provides a complex textual descriptions of how people observe a given research problem and it mainly provides data about the human side which is necessary for the present research context. Despite the issue found in the primate research, scientists and scholar are still carrying out research on primates.

Selection of sub-problems 

The above-presented table shows that there are several sub problems associated with the topic animal research in primates but this study only focuses on the inappropriate result derived from the primate research and illegal trade of primates for the research. Thus, this is highly necessary to conduct the review of the studies on why the research in primates is still on despite the controversies and the issue of unethical use of primates.

Determining the type of methodology

Literature 1:. Caring for nonhuman primates in biomedical research facilities: scientific, moral and emotional considerations

According to Coleman (2011), high quality science mainly depends on high quality animal care and the animal who are sick are not eligible or reliable subject for the scientific studies. Several scientific experimentations have been performed on primates with the purpose of gaining facts to improve the medical research for the betterment of human beings. There are some particular physiological and immunological changes could affect a large variety of study outcome.  According to the author psychosocial stressors could alter hypothalamic pituitary-adrenal axis as well as cardiovascular functions especially nonhuman primates and some laboratory animals. This study have paid a significant attention to the caring practice of primates, which means that the authors are opposing the excessive use of primates for the scientific research.  Instead of paying attention to the scientific research as the experimentation of animal on research, the scholars have mainly paid attention to high quality care of primate. The finding of this study helps to learn that better preservation and safety of primates can result to relevant research further; currently, most of the studies are performed on the sick and physically injured primates. In addition, the authors have also mentioned that significant result of high quality animal care is broadly associated with the close relationship that can be established between the caretakers and primates and this relationship is presently necessary to keep primates from being endangered.

Literature 2: Impending extinction crisis of the world’s primates: Why primates matter

According to the authors, primates remain as the closest biological relatives which play a significant role in the livelihoods of culture and it provides unique understanding of human evolution, biology and the life taking threat of some emerging diseases. The authors have also mentioned that many primate species are rapidly threatened by legal and illegal unsustainable trade. The findings of this study prove that primates are traded unethically or illegally for the biomedical study and wildlife collection. Another significant fact raised by the authors in this study, is that experimentation in the research did not provide relevant outcome which can be further used to find out to dig out the human evolution. This study also sheds light on social and cultural importance, which means besides sharing an evolutionary history with humans, the primate contribute to the biological as well as the cultural richness. The authors have mentioned that many primates play a significant role in the ecosystem dynamics and sustainability.

Reviewing, analysing and summarizing the existing methodologies in the collected literature

Methodology 

This research paper sheds light on the protection and preservation of primates for the sustainability of primates and how useful it is for the human development and evolution history. The study has demonstrated a set of factors that affect the existence of primates. The factors are presented as illegal trade, climate change, land coverage, global market demands as well as industry-driven deforestation and haunting. The study used a case study method to perform the research, which means, the authors have collected different journal articles that are performed in primates research.  The case study method has been used to identify why the scholars have opposed to the scientific research in primates. However, this study does not particularly mention any justified point about stopping research or using primates in scientific research for human development.

Relevance of the literature to the sub-problems

This review of literature is relevant to the sub problems found in the study as, the sub-problem is about illegal trading of primates for research and this study particularly focus on or pays attention to those factors. Likewise, the literature 1 is relevant to the sub-problem – inappropriate use of research result for the human development. Literature 1 particularly helps to understand that most of the primates used for experimentation of research are either injured or sick; thus, the facts derived from the study may not be relevant to the human context.

Proposed Methodology

In this section, the researcher has decided to explain the methodologies that will be applied in this research. Evaluation of all the existing research methodologies was conducted in the literature review section focused on which the most suitable research method is selected for this study. In the first section, justification of the selected methodology will be provided; advantages and disadvantages of the selected methodology will be explained. The methodology framework will also be explained in this proposed methodology section.

Justification for Chosen Methodology

Focused on the subject of the research, the current study will employ qualitative methodology. In carrying out research through employing this methodology, thematic research will be carried out. This research method is used for animal research in primates as qualitative method facilitates in employing the unstructured or semi-structured process. Thematic analysis that will be used as qualitative research method will focus on examining and recording patterns or different themes related to research within the data. Research themes are deemed to be the patterns all across the data sets that will be vital in explaining the process related with animal research in primates. Questionnaires will also be used in the qualitative research for attaining suitable responses from target respondents within this research.

Advantages and Limitations of Methodology

Advantages

• Qualitative or thematic analysis will offer detailed analysis in recording attitudes and behaviours on the research subject
• Thematic analysis an offer insightful and reliable research findings
• Research sources those are reliable
• Testing and thematic data analysis

Limitations

• There is lack of substantial literature on reliability of thematic analysis
• Qualitative research method is time consuming and responses gathered from questionnaire might be biased
• Small sample size is selected because of budget and time constraints

Figure 3: Research Methodology

(Source: Self-made)

References

Bernard, H.R., 2017. Research methods in anthropology: Qualitative and quantitative approaches. Rowman & Littlefield.

Bryman, A., 2017. Quantitative and qualitative research: further reflections on their integration. In Mixing methods: Qualitative and quantitative research (pp. 57-78). Routledge.

Burkart, J.M., Schubiger, M.N. and van Schaik, C.P., 2017. The evolution of general intelligence. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 40.

Coleman, K., 2011. Caring for nonhuman primates in biomedical research facilities: scientific, moral and emotional considerations. American journal of primatology, 73(3), pp.220-225.

Corbin, J., Strauss, A. and Strauss, A.L., 2014. Basics of qualitative research. Sage.

Creswell, J.W. and Creswell, J.D., 2017. Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage publications.

Estrada, A., Garber, P.A., Rylands, A.B., Roos, C., Fernandez-Duque, E., Di Fiore, A., Nekaris, K.A.I., Nijman, V., Heymann, E.W., Lambert, J.E. and Rovero, F., 2017. Impending extinction crisis of the world’s primates: Why primates matter. Science Advances, 3(1), p.e1600946.

Holekamp, K.E. and Miikkulainen, R., 2017. The evolution of general intelligence in all animals and machines. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 40.

Lewis, S., 2015. Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Health promotion practice, 16(4), pp.473-475.

Mars, R.B., Foxley, S., Verhagen, L., Jbabdi, S., Sallet, J., Noonan, M.P., Neubert, F.X., Andersson, J.L., Croxson, P.L., Dunbar, R.I. and Khrapitchev, A.A., 2016. The extreme capsule fiber complex in humans and macaque monkeys: a comparative diffusion MRI tractography study. Brain Structure and Function, 221(8), pp.4059-4071.

McCusker, K. and Gunaydin, S., 2015. Research using qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods and choice based on the research. Perfusion, 30(7), pp.537-542.

Merriam, S.B., 2015. Qualitative Research: Designing, Implementing, and Publishing a Study. In Handbook of Research on Scholarly Publishing and Research Methods (pp. 125-140). IGI Global.

Sibal, L.R. and Samson, K.J., 2001. Nonhuman primates: a critical role in current disease research. ILAR journal, 42(2), pp.74-84.

Simpson, R., Hughes, J. and Slutskaya, N., 2016. Researching Dirty Work. In Gender, Class and Occupation(pp. 209-232). Palgrave Macmillan, London.

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