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Full text searching and citation searching

Basic Patent Information Cours (BPIC)

 

Module 3A: Full Text Searching and Citation Searching

 

Target Audience

This module is designed for patent information specialists with one year or less of experience in conducting novelty or patentability searches. It is particularly suited for individuals who have recently begun working in this field.

Module Objectives and Learning Outcomes

By the end of this session, participants will have gained an understanding of:

  • The origins of citation searching in the context of science, technology, and official patent search reports.

  • Basic principles of backward and forward citation searching, as well as techniques for mapping bulk citation data.

  • Citation sources within patent databases, including potential biases, missing citations, and methods for narrowing the focus of a citation search.

  • A comparative review of major databases that provide structured citation data.

Content Overview

This BPIC course module consists of one session and covers the following key topics:

  1. A brief history of citation use in law, science, and technology.

  2. Fundamental differences between journal citations and patent search report citations.

  3. Applicant-provided citations versus citations from official search reports, including motivations and implications for search strategies.

  4. The scope and limitations of backward and forward citation searching.

  5. Use of citations in large-scale statistical and analytical studies.

  6. Understanding patent families and the distinction between document-document and family-family citations.

  7. Evaluating assumptions about database content and their influence on search outcomes.

  8. Methods for extracting and organizing citation data into specialized databases.

Study Load

Participants are encouraged to independently explore free citation-enabled resources, such as Espacenet and the USPTO Patent Center, with a focus on their relevance to the participant’s subject area(s). There is no formal assessment for this module.

Preparation

Prior to attending, participants should ensure they are familiar with how to locate published patent search reports, particularly from the European Patent Office (EPO) and other major patent authorities.