Which principle would likely guide an IACUC review on the use of animals in research?

The principle guiding an IACUC review on the use of animals in research is ensuring compliance with ethical standards. This principle is fundamental to the IACUC's role, which is to oversee and evaluate all aspects of an institution's animal care and use program. The committee's primary focus is to ensure that research involving animals is conducted ethically, with an emphasis on minimizing pain and distress, justifying the necessity of animal use, and adhering to laws and regulations governing animal research.

By ensuring compliance with ethical standards, IACUCs play a critical role in safeguarding animal welfare while also allowing valuable research to proceed. This includes assessing the scientific justification for the use of animals, ensuring that humane standards are upheld, and reviewing protocols for adherence to best practices in animal care.

Other principles might have merit in different contexts, but they do not encapsulate the core responsibility of the IACUC as effectively as the commitment to ethical standards in research involving animals.