In this week’s Research Ethics Roundup, the 3Rs, bias in research, and compensation for research participants serve as food for thought.

What does the increase in numbers of animals used in research mean?: Statistics indicating that the use of animals in scientific research in the United Kingdom (UK) increased in 2011 were recently released. While some are concerned that this trend may indicate deviation from the 3Rs –reduction, refinement, and replacement– others believe the implications of these statistics may be more benign.

Why do we allow poor science to guide policy?: In this eye-opening piece on the relationship between research and policy, concerns are raised over whether scientific publishing, the basis for many policy decisions, is as objective and valid as it ought to be.

Guatemalans used in experiments deserve compensation: In the late 1940s, researchers from the United States Public Health Service exposed Guatemalan citizens to sexually transmitted diseases without their consent. Today, those citizens and their descendents are seeking financial retribution, and the authors of this opinion piece from The New York Times are on their side.