Browse StudiesThe latest resources and tools
This is a list of resources to get you started on your research. But don’t feel limited by this list; there are many resources out there, including old plaques and filing cabinets!
| Resource Categories | |
|---|---|
| Article One Featured Resources | Non-Patent Literature |
| USPTO | Libraries |
| Intellogist | Technology Databases |
| International Resources | Books |
| Patent Information and Databases | |
Article One Featured Resources
Research often begins with the task of learning about the technology from a broad perspective. Once you understand the technology, the next step is utilizing libraries and databases that specialize in the individual technology. Here are our blog reviews of various databases that will help you expand beyond the basic search tools!
Learn how to become a Researcher, and start hunting for the winning publication.
A compilation of the best news sources and IP blogs organized into a variety of exciting topics.
USPTO
The USPTO provides access to templates describing search resources for the classified areas of science and technology found in the USPTO Manual of Classification. These templates may prove useful in designing a search strategy specific to each technology area.
Provides an overview of the search templates
View the actual templates for each patent class.
Intellogist
In addition to the resources below, Intellogist also welcomes contributions from its community through community reports and a discussion forum. We will feature more Intellogist resources and articles in our newsletter and blog. Learn more in our Featured Resource blog post.
This dynamic world map allows users to quickly find the known patent search systems that offer data coverage for a particular country.
This tool allows for side-by-side comparison of the patent search systems that have been reviewed by Intellogist.
This webpage links to all the Intellogist wiki articles discussing best practices in patent research.
This tool displays search systems, databases, publications, and websites grouped by technology area.
International Resources
Dissertations: Canada, UK and Europe
Japanese Patent Research Tools
Industrial Property Digital Library (IPDL)
Japan Science and Technology Information Aggregator, Electronic (J-STAGE)
Patent Abstracts of Japan (PAJ)
Advanced Industrial Property Network (AIPN)
Online File Inspection System (AIPN)
EPO EspaceNet — Search Entire Patent Database
Japanese Language Services Ltd
Japan Science and Technology Agency
Indian Patent Research Tools
Big Patents India - free site containing Indian application and grant data
Indian Patent Searchable Database
Patent Information and Databases
The following are free resources:
United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) - Patent Full-Text and Full-Page Image Databases
European Patent Office (EPO) - European Classification System Search
United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO)
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
IP Australia - Australian Patent Office
Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO)
Patent Lens - A free public resource for patent system navigation worldwide
I-MAK - Links to international patent offices and database
SureChem - International patent search for chemical structures - registration required
FDA Orange Book - Patent information for drugs sold in the US
Patents.com - Free US and EP Patent searching
Patent Information Users Group (PIUG) - registration required
Fresh Patents - The latest US patent applications
This is a resource available on a subscription basis:
Micropatent - Thomson Reuters patent information
Non-Patent Literature
The following are free resources:
IPEstonia Toolbar - Makes tailored search toolbars to assist in gathering information
IBM Journal of Research and Development - registration required
Tech Web - Technology encyclopedia
BioFind - account needed
MatWeb - Searchable material properties
PubMed - Biomedical articles from Medline and life science journals. Featured Resource blog post.
Medline - National Library of Medicine
ChemSpider Allows search for chemical images
NIST Chem Web Book - chemical structure and property database
ZDNet - Free technical white papers
GBIF - Global Biodiversity Information Facility
The following are resources available on a subscription basis:
Get the Patent - Comprehensive search of USPTO, EPO, WIPO
STN International - Global access to published research
Software Patent Institute - Prior art of software technology
IP.com Prior Art database - free (limited)
ACM Digital Library - Journals and Magazines. Featured Resource blog post.
IEEE Xplore Digital Library - Featured Resource Blog Post
Marpat - Chemical abstracts
SCOPUS - Peer reviewed journals
Engineering Village - Engineering research tool
Libraries
The following resources are available online:
United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) - How to Conduct a Preliminary US Patent Search (presentation)
Arizona State University - Searching for Patents
McKinney Engineering Library - Patent Tutorials
University of Illinois - Step-by-step guide to prior art searching
University of Maine - Fogler Library Guide to patent searching
Worchester Polytechnic Institute - Patent resources, patent tutorials, and patent worksheet
The following resources are available on-site in the libraries:
New York Public Library - Science, Industry, and Business Library (SIBL) - Patent information and classes offered
Hennepin County Library (Minnesota) Classes - Search using the keyword "patent."
Technology Databases
ABI/INFORM
Dialog Coverage: 1971 - present, Full Text: 1991 — present
STN Coverage: 1971 — present, Full Text: 1991 — present
Covers worldwide business and management issues.
Includes details on various aspects of business, including company histories, competitive intelligence, and new product development.
ACM Coverage: Dates — vary, Full Text: Dates — vary
Citations and full text articles from ACM journals, newsletters, and conference proceedings. Learn more in our Featured Resource blog post.
Business & IndustryTM (B&I)
Dialog Coverage: 1994 — present, Full Text: 1994 — present
Facts, figures, and key events dealing with public and private companies, industries, markets products for all manufacturing and service industries at an international level.
Dialog Coverage: 1999 — present, Full Text: 1999 — present
Full text of news releases issued by approximately 10,000 corporations, universities, research institutes, hospitals, and other organizations.
CSA Aerospace & High Technology Database
Dialog Coverage: 1962 — present, Full Text: — N/A
STN Coverage: 1962 — present, Full Text: — N/A
Provides references, abstracts, and controlled-vocabulary indexing of key scientific and technical documents.
Provides access to key scientific and technical documents covering aerospace R&D in over 40 countries.
Dialog Global Reporter
Dialog Coverage: 1997 — present, Full Text: 1997 — present
Global news source.
Covers newspapers, business magazines, and newswires from all regions of the world, including emerging markets. This resource may provide unique relevant information.
Lexico Publishing Group, LLC Coverage: — N/A, Full Text: — N/A
Multi-source dictionary search service.
Using a variety of dictionaries and encyclopedias can be useful in clarifying terminology.
Dissertation Abstracts Online
Dialog Coverage: 1861 — present, Full Text: — N/A
STN Coverage: 1861 — present, Full Text: — N/A
Subject, title, and author guide to virtually every American dissertation accepted at an accredited institution.
Dissertations and Theses — Full Text
ProQuest Coverage: 1861 — present, Full Text: Dates — vary
Doctoral dissertations and Master's theses.
EBSCOhost Research Databases
EBSCO Coverage: Dates — vary, Full Text: Dates — vary
Multi-source database of business, technical, and trade periodicals.
European Newspapers
Dialog Coverage: Dates — vary, Full Text: Dates — vary
OneSearch category.
This resource contains abstracts and full text of major European newspapers, which can be useful for covering local contests and other international news stories.
Dialog Coverage: 1982 — present, Full Text: 1982 — present
Daily newspaper of global affairs.
Gale Group Computer DatabaseTM
Dialog Coverage: 1983 — present, Full Text: 1988 — present
Information about the computer, electronics, and telecommunications industries.
Gale Group GlobalbaseTM
Dialog Coverage: 1986 — 2002, Full Text: — N/A
Worldwide coverage of companies, products, and industries with a primary focus on Europe.
Gale Group Marketing & Advertising Reference Service
Dialog Coverage: 1984 — present, Full Text: 1984 — present
Multi-industry advertising and marketing database with abstracts and full text records on a wide variety of consumer products and services.
Gale Group New Product Announcements/Plus (NPA/Plus)
Dialog Coverage: 1985 — present, Full Text: 1985 — present
Full text press releases from all industries covering announcements related to products, with a focus on new products and services.
Gale Group Newsletter DatabaseTM
Dialog Coverage: 1988 — present, Full Text: 1988 — present
Facts, figures, analysis, and current information affecting a broad range of industries and sectors.
Gale Group PROMT
Dialog Coverage: 1990 — present, Full Text: 1990 — present
STN Coverage: 1978 — present, Full Text: 1978 — present
International coverage of companies, products, markets, and applied technologies for all industries.
Gale Group Trade & Industry DatabaseTM
Dialog Coverage: 1976 — present, Full Text: 1976 — present
Coverage of international company, industry, product and market information.
Inside Conferences
Dialog Coverage: 1993 — present, Full Text: — N/A
Contains details of all papers given at every congress, symposium, conference, exposition, workshop, and meeting received at the British Library Document Supply Centre.
Inspec (The Database for Physics, Electronics and Computing)
Dialog Coverage: 1898 — present, Full Text: — N/A
Dialog DataStar Coverage: 1969 — present, Full Text: — N/A
Questel Orbit Coverage: 1969 — present, Full Text: — N/A
STN Coverage: 1969 — present, Full Text: — N/A
Inspec (The Database for Physics, Electronics and Computing) corresponds to the three Science Abstracts print publications: Physics Abstracts, Electrical and Electronics Abstracts, and Computer and Control Abstracts.
Internet and Personal Computing Abstracts
EBSCO Coverage: 1980's — present, Full Text: — N/A
Literature related to personal computing products and developments in business, the Internet, the home, and all other applied areas.
Dialog Coverage: 1987 — present, Full Text: 1987 — present
Provides the complete text of all news, columns, editorials, briefs, calendar listings, and selected tables that appear in the Five-Star edition of the business newspaper covering international trade and transportation issues.
JSTOR Coverage: Dates — vary, Full Text: Dates — vary
Business collection brings together core titles in economics and finance, including many publications from the leading scholarly societies.
McGraw-Hill Companies Publications Online
Dialog Coverage: 1985 — present, Full Text: 1985 — present
Provides the complete text for many major McGraw-Hill publications.
The database covers specific industries such as aerospace, electronics, and construction.
Dialog Coverage: 1980 — present, Full Text: 1980 — present
New York Times full text database.
NTIS: National Technical Information Service
Dialog Coverage: 1964 — present, Full Text: — N/A
STN Coverage: 1964 — present, Full Text: — N/A
U.S. government-sponsored research, development, and engineering reports.
OneLook® Coverage: — N/A, Full Text: — N/A
Collection of web-based dictionaries that define or translate words and phrases.
Using a variety of dictionaries and encyclopedias can be useful in clarifying terminology.
Dialog Coverage: 1999 — present, Full Text: 1999 — present
Complete text of news releases prepared by U.S. companies, public relations agencies, trade associations, city, state, federal and municipal government agencies, and other sources covering the entire spectrum of news.
ProQuest Coverage: Dates — vary, Full Text: 1986 — present
Current periodicals and newspapers, as well as archives of major newspapers.
This resource is useful in preliminary searching of application.
ProQuest Coverage: — , Full Text: Dates — vary
Electronic reference library of technical books.
Books on software, the internet, business transactions etc. can provide useful information. Textbooks are also a good source of prior art and background information.
Dialog Coverage: 1985 — present, Full Text: 1985 — present
Full text file provides local, national, and international news coverage with particular emphasis on high technology and industry developments in Silicon Valley.
TecInfoSource (formerly SoftBase: Reviews, Companies, and Products)
Dialog Coverage: 1994 — present, Full Text: — N/A
Covers emerging technologies, established technology products and their track record in the marketplace across multiple industries.
Transportation Research Information Services (TRIS)
Dialog Coverage: 1968 — present, Full Text: — N/A
Provides international coverage of ongoing research projects, published journal articles, state and federal government reports, conference proceedings, research and technical papers, and monographs.
U.S. Major Newspapers
Dialog Coverage: Dates — vary, Full Text: Dates — vary
OneSearch category.
This resource contains abstracts and full text of major US newspapers.
Dialog Coverage: 1973 — present, Full Text: — N/A
Contains abstracts of all articles published in the Eastern 3-star Edition of The Wall Street Journal newspaper.
Wilson Applied Science & Technology Abstracts
Dialog Coverage: 1983 — present, Full Text: — N/A
Science and technology journal abstracts.
Books
Information Sources in Patents by Stephen Adams
Describes patent sources available worldwide and researches international patent systems in industrialized nations.
Patent Searching: Tools and Techniques by David Hunt, Long Nguyen, Matthew Rodgers
Provides a guide to the art and science of this task, along with essential information on patent law, patent search theory, and practice. It outlines criteria on how to select the most appropriate search tools and even provides current information on the major databases available. And with an abundance of illustrative tables, charts, and figures, this book makes complex material easy to read and understand
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