When I first started working at Replacing Animal Research, I got told off… a lot. Do you know why? I used animal testing and animal research interchangeably.  

And I’d do it again. 

I am not a scientist of any form. I last studied science at a GCSE level. But I do love science, specifically translating science for Joe Public. At my heart of hearts, I’m a storyteller (and it’s what I have actually built years of expertise in).

In stories, words both do and don’t matter. Language isn’t immovable; it shifts over time. Look up the definition of ‘literal’ to see how it’s no longer, well, literal. Or try to read Middle English, and you’ll see English is the same language, except in all the ways it’s not. 

What does matter is a shared understanding of terms. The picture you can paint with your words. 

Too often, conversations are shut down because of technicalities or derailed because two people have different ideas of what a word actually means. To help bridge that gap, I’ve collaborated with my science colleagues to create this cheat sheet. It is a quick way to ensure you get your point across effectively. 

Animal testing

What the Public mean

A general term for what happens to an animal used in a laboratory setting.

What the Scientists mean

Often refers specifically to safety and efficacy testing, like for medicines and cosmetics, rather than basic exploratory research, like trying to understand how cancer spreads.

Vivisection

What the Public mean

Performing surgery or other invasive experiments on living animals. It’s a visceral term that brings to mind some of our most gruesome imaginings of science. 

What the Scientists mean

In a historical or legal sense, it refers to living animals used in research, but today it’s just not used. It’s seen as a bit of an archaic term.  

Regulated procedure

What the Public mean

It’s not, really. The closest you’ll really hear is “I’m going to the hospital for a small procedure” but it’s not used when Joe Public is talking about animals being used in research and testing.  

What the Scientists mean

The legal term for the specific actions or tests performed on an animal under a government licence. 

Science

What the Public mean

It’s kind of a broad “vibe” that can cover anything from yelling “SCIENCE!” when you’ve done something cool in the kitchen to just generally scientific things.  

What the Scientists mean

It largely means following the ‘scientific method’, which is basically the technique used to construct and test a hypothesis. In the lab, you don’t “do science”; you follow a protocol to test a hypothesis. 

(You may, in your head, say you’re ‘doing a science’, but don’t worry, I won’t tell) 

In Vitro

What the Public mean

Almost exclusively IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation). It’s associated with clinics, ultrasound scans, and the beginning of a pregnancy. 

What the Scientists mean

Literally “in glass.” It refers to any study or process happening outside of a living organism, like in a petri dish or a test tube. For us, it’s a massive part of the non-animal methods we’re championing. 

Significant / Significance

What the Public mean

Something that is important, noteworthy, or a “big deal.” 

What the Scientists mean

A statistical measure. “Statistically significant” doesn’t necessarily mean the result is groundbreaking or life-changing; it just means the result is unlikely to have happened by chance. You can have a “significant” result that has almost no impact on real-world medicine. 

Proof / Proven

What the Public mean

“Case closed.” It’s the smoking gun. It means we have the answer, it’s 100% certain, and we can all move on. 

What the Scientists mean

Scientists almost never say “proven.” Instead, they talk about “data supporting a hypothesis” or a “strong correlation.” To a scientist, saying something is 100% certain is dangerous because tomorrow a new discovery might change everything. 

This is why you’ll hear phrases like: 

“The evidence suggests…” or  “Current models indicate…” 

It doesn’t mean scientists aren’t confident in their findings, it just means they’re being honest about the fact that science is a process of constant refinement and they can only be as confident as current understanding. 

Model

What the Public mean

A miniature version of something, like a really cool pink dollhouse called Gertrude that someone in the Replacing Animal Research team built (it’s me, I built her), or someone posing for a photo. 

What the Scientists mean

A way to mimic a complex system. In the past, this was almost always an animal (an “animal model”). Now, we are championing non-animal models, like using human cells on a tiny chip or a sophisticated computer programme to see how a disease behaves. 

Why This Matters

When we talk past each other, we stop making progress. If we want to move towards a world where animal research is a thing of the past, we need to try to actually understand what other people are saying.  

It doesn’t make you clever to catch someone out on a technicality, and it doesn’t hurt to learn a little technicality to show people how seriously you take their work.

We can only get to a future where no animal suffers for science together, so… Let’s work together!