Tips for Effective Patent Searching:
Understanding Patent Language: Patents serve as both technical and legal documents. They must sufficiently detail an invention for someone knowledgeable to replicate it. However, the language used in patents often differs from that in academic journal articles. This discrepancy means that relying solely on simple keyword searches may not yield comprehensive results.
Database Capabilities: Database Capabilities: While numerous free databases provide access to patent literature, they generally lack advanced search and analysis tools. There are also commercial databases with advanced capabilities, but they tend to be costly, and UTA subscribes to only a few essential ones.
Seeking Assistance: Consulting a librarian can be very helpful for thorough patent literature searches, particularly for technical or business information. We can guide you to the resources you need.
Advanced Professional Development: For those interested in deepening their understanding of patent searching or pursuing a career in patent information, consider exploring resources like the Patent Information Users Group (PIUG) at http://www.piug.org/ and the book "Current Challenges in Patent Information Retrieval," edited by Mihai Lupu and colleagues.
