The vast majority of publicly available technical knowledge is stored in patent databases. The lecture is aimed to empower participants to successfully find and use this knowledge for their own academic activities as well as to avoid duplication of research.
Students of this course are to learn methods and concepts to efficiently perform and document searches within patent databases. Support is given on a regulary basis by the lecturer as well as external experts in the field.

This hands-on course is aimed at students above bachelor level (MSc / PhD / Dr.) who want to gain knowledge and skills for systematically planning and executing searches within patent literature and thereby expand their own expertise!

The first lecture part comprises of an introduction to the topics of patent grant procedure, structure of patents, classification of subject matter. Furthermore search strategies and tools are presented. In the second part students are to form teams to prepare and perform searches on given subject matter. 
Thereby skills to prepare, perform and document professional searches using relevant tools are gained.

Learning outcomes:

• Participants are able to distinguish between different types of intellectual property
• Participants can explain the structure of patents and the process of patent grant procedures
• Participants can use this knowledge in the preparation of the searches and in the interpretation of the serach results
• Participants can name use cases which are well suited for the deployment of professional research.
• Participants are able to present a specific search strategy to solve a given problem.
• Participants can name different patent databases and apply learned search strategies therein.
• Participants can document their search, summarize its results.

Methods:

• Inverted Classroom supported by e-learning (TUWEL) and external online courses (EPO, British IPO, USPTO) to aquire knowledge of the course subjects. Appointments for questions with the lecturers.
• Specific search tasks are to be solved and documented; individually and team-based
• Characterisation of different Patent databases, team-based
• Reflection-paper

Attendance required at the kick-off meeting and team meetings (mandatory).

75% Search tasks (idividual and team based)
15% Patent database factsheet
10% Reflection-paper

Presentations slides

Online material available at certain patent offices (EPO, British IPO, USPTO), see TUWEL