Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician (ALAT) Practice Exam

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Which of the following is a key element of good laboratory practices?

  1. Standardizing procedures

  2. Minimizing animal use

  3. Increasing experimentation frequency

  4. Reducing staff training

The correct answer is: Standardizing procedures

Standardizing procedures is a fundamental aspect of good laboratory practices because it ensures consistency, reliability, and reproducibility of experimental results. When procedures are standardized, all personnel follow the same protocols, reducing variability that could arise from different techniques or interpretations of the methods. This alignment is essential for maintaining the integrity of research data and enables clear communication among team members as well as with regulatory bodies. Moreover, standardized procedures facilitate training and onboarding of new staff by providing a clear framework to follow. They help ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and ethical standards in animal research, which ultimately supports the quality of the study outcomes. While minimizing animal use and increased experimentation frequency might seem beneficial, they are not key elements of good laboratory practices in the same way that standardization is. Additionally, reducing staff training could lead to inconsistencies and errors in performing laboratory procedures, which goes against the principles of good laboratory practices.