Animal methods bias is a peer review bias characterised by a preference for animal-based research methods or lack of expertise to adequately evaluate non-animal methods. 

Animal methods bias can affect the quality or fairness of non-animal research assessments, including peer reviews of manuscripts and grant applications. In publishing, animal methods bias can cause delays in publication or force authors to publish in lower-impact journals. It may also lead early-stage researchers to pursue animal methods because of the impression that they must do so in order to publish and progress their careers. 

Researchers may choose to use non-animal experimental models for a variety of reasons, including their ability to reliably mimic human biology and clinical responses, their advantages over comparable animal-based approaches, and their lower resource and ethical burdens. Despite these advantages, many researchers still perceive animal use as the “gold standard” in biomedical research and testing, which can lead to unfair assessments of non-animal studies or unjustified requests for animal experiments.

Find out more here: https://www.animalmethodsbias.org/