A digitised, user-friendly tool inspired by the EU/JRC ToxRTool — the EU reference standard for evaluating the quality and reliability of in vivo and in vitro toxicity studies.
ToxRTool (Toxicological data Reliability assessment Tool) was developed by the European Union Reference Laboratory for alternatives to animal testing (EURL ECVAM) at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. It provides a structured, transparent way to evaluate the inherent quality of toxicological studies.
Reference: Schneider K. et al. (2009). ToxRTool, a new tool to assess the reliability of toxicological data. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, 54(2), 162–173.
Complete an assessment in minutes. Export results as Excel or PDF for your dossier.
Choose between an in vivo or in vitro study. Enter authors, title, facility, and your evaluator details.
Work through all criteria grouped into five logical sections. Toggle 0 or 1 per criterion. Mandatory criteria (shown in red) must be met for Categories 1 or 2.
The tool calculates Categories A and B automatically. Confirm your final proposal (C) and export as a fully populated Excel file or print-ready report.
Derived from the Klimisch et al. classification, adapted by EURL ECVAM for systematic use.
| Category | Label | In vivo score | In vitro score | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cat. 1 | Reliable without restrictions | 18–21 pts + all ● met | 15–18 pts + all ● met | Key study; check relevance |
| Cat. 2 | Reliable with restrictions | 13–17 pts + all ● met | 11–14 pts + all ● met | Potentially useful; check relevance |
| Cat. 3 | Not reliable | <13 pts or ● not met | <11 pts or ● not met | Generally not as key study |
| Cat. 4 | Not assignable | Documentation insufficient (reviews, handbooks, etc.) | Not for key study use | |
● = mandatory criterion. If any mandatory criterion scores 0, maximum assignable category is 3, regardless of total score.
Both forms follow the same five criterion groups. Select the type that matches your study.
For whole-organism toxicity studies conducted in living animals or experimental human subjects. Includes criteria specific to housing conditions, animal numbers, and administration routes.
↗For cell-based or tissue-based toxicity studies performed outside of living organisms. Includes criteria for test system characterisation, replicates, and culture conditions.
↗Common questions about ToxRTool, the Klimisch scoring method, and how to use this tool.
ToxRTool (Toxicological data Reliability assessment Tool) is a standardised checklist developed by EURL ECVAM at the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC). It evaluates the inherent quality and reliability of in vivo and in vitro toxicological studies by scoring them across 18–21 criteria, producing a Category 1–4 reliability rating. This web implementation lets you run the assessment directly in your browser.
The Klimisch score (Klimisch et al., 1997) is a widely used method for classifying the reliability of toxicological studies into four categories: Category 1 (Reliable without restrictions), Category 2 (Reliable with restrictions), Category 3 (Not reliable), and Category 4 (Not assignable). ToxRTool is a structured, criterion-based implementation of this approach, developed to make the scoring more systematic and transparent.
The in vivo assessment covers 21 criteria (8 mandatory) for studies conducted in living animals or human subjects, with a maximum score of 21. The in vitro assessment covers 18 criteria (6 mandatory) for cell- or tissue-based studies performed outside of living organisms, with a maximum score of 18. Both use the same five criterion groups and produce a Category 1–4 reliability score.
Category 1 — Reliable without restrictions: high-quality, well-documented study suitable as a key study. Category 2 — Reliable with restrictions: acceptable quality but with minor methodological limitations. Category 3 — Not reliable: significant deficiencies or one or more mandatory criteria not met. Category 4 — Not assignable: documentation insufficient to assess reliability (e.g. reviews, secondary sources, handbooks).
Yes — completely free, open-source, and runs entirely in your browser. No account, registration, or internet connection is required after the page loads. All your assessment data stays on your device via localStorage. Nothing is sent to any server.
Yes. You can download your completed assessment as an Excel (.xlsx) file with multiple sheets (Study Info, Criteria Scores, Results Summary), or print it as a PDF directly from the browser. You can also copy a shareable link that encodes the full assessment state in the URL — paste it in any browser to restore the exact same assessment.