Researchers in Germany identified seven types of barriers that can make communicating with the public about animal research difficult, highlighting the challenges for researchers and institutions and the connection to wider public debate. 

Science communication is gradually gaining relevance in research institutions and funding agencies, but controversial topics such as climate change, reproductive rights, nuclear power and animal research are increasingly contested, making it harder to build public trust in communicating about them. 

Researchers at the University of Göttingen systematically reviewed 65 academic documents on communicating about animal research. The most commonly reported barriers were related to the nature of animal research itself, challenges in communicating with the public and the environments in which the debate takes place. Other barriers included researchers’ limited communication skills and experience, limited time and institutional support, concerns about hostility or reputational damage and communicating with the media. 

The study cautions against assuming that the public itself is the problem. Sebastian Löser, from the University of Göttingen and first author of the study published in Public Understanding of Science and winner of Best Flash-Talk at EARA Conference 2025, said to EARA: “If we want better communication about animal experimentation, we must look beyond narrow concerns over ‘difficult’ audiences. Researchers face a much wider range of barriers, and understanding these barriers is the first step toward finding effective ways to overcome them.” 

The team also found that barriers can reinforce each other: for example, fear of hostility may discourage researchers from communicating, leaving less accurate information unchallenged and potentially contributing to further mistrust and division.