Hi, I’m here to help you with all your engineering research needs. Whether you are working on an assignment, a senior project, or a master thesis, I can help you find the resources you are looking for.
A patent gives a legal right to the patent holder to prevent other people from making, using or selling their invention for a limited period.
In order to be granted a patent, the patent holder must demonstrate that their invention is novel and capable of being made into a product or used as a process by industry. They must publicly disclose full details of their invention.
This means that patents can be an important source of information for researchers, much of which is not available in journals or conference papers.
Why use patents as an information source?
To study the historic development of technologies.
To identify work which has already been done in the field you are researching.
To identify experts in particular areas.
Note: Inventors must file patent applications according to the laws in each of the countries they want protection. Therefore, not all patents are identical for the same invention or in English.
Inequities in patents and innovation
The following resources highlight the continued inequities for BIPOC in acquiring patents and access to recognition for their inventions. Data on BIPOC patents is still incomplete due to the challenges of data gathering encountered by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
Colorblind Patent System and Black inventors
Johnson, Shontavia Jackson. 2019. “The Colorblind Patent System and Black Inventors.” Landslide 11(4).
From the American Bar Association, this article discusses the history of Black inventions and describes the continued inequities in the patent system and access to technology for Black inventors and addresses the need for a multifaceted approach to improving access.
Leahy-Smith America Invents Act
Under the 2012 American Invents Act the USPTO was ordered to begin to collect demographic data on patent applicants. However, this is still a work in progress. USPTO developed a methodology for gathering this data using information from the Census, but the results were incomplete. There is currently no mechanism in place to require applicants to provide this data.
Who Becomes an Inventor in America? The Importance of Exposure to Innovation
Alex Bell, Raj Chetty, Xavier Jaravel, Neviana Petkova, John Van Reenen, "Who Becomes an Inventor in America? The Importance of Exposure to Innovation," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Volume 134, Issue 2, May 2019, Pages 647–713
Researchers compared patent data to income taxes for recent patent recipients, and used that data to draw some inferences about socioeconomic class and access to innovation. This article looks at the challenges faced by inventors who are from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and discusses the work needed to correct this inequity.
Covers the entire collection of issued patents and millions of patent application made available by the USPTO, from patents issued in the 1790s through those most recently issued in the past few months.
The USPTO houses full text and images for patents issued for all patents from 1790+. Note: This search only includes accepted patents (it takes ~18 months from filing to denial/acceptance).
Inspec® is a comprehensive index to global literature in electronics, computer science, physics, electrical, control, production and mechanical engineering. Includes INSPEC Thesaurus, Classification Codes and other specialized search aids.
Reaxys provides chemical properties and preparations for inorganic and organic compounds. It is searchable in multiple ways, including chemical structure, formula, physical property, and reaction. This is a combination of retired databases Beilstein (organic reactions, spectra, properties, etc.), Gmelin (inorganic) and Chemistry Patent Database. This database includes a chemical drawing program.
Web of Science (Core Collection) provides a single search across Arts & Humanities Citation Index, Science Citation Index, and Social Sciences Citation Index. Additional Web of Science databases are easily accessible.
Patent Strategy introduces researchers to patent applications and patent portfolios. With minimum use of 'legal jargon' it provides the technical professional with the assistance and advice they require to understand the legal complexities that they may encounter before and during a patent application.