RE: [PIUG List] Summary: requirements for becoming a professional patent searcher

Martin,

Speaking as a member of the vendor community (LexisNexis), it won't come
as a surprise when I suggest adding to your list of requirements,
"fluency with a broad range of abstract, indexing, full text and other
patent database research tools".

Good luck with this project.

Best regards,

Richard Garner
Product Director IP
ragarner_at_univentio.com
 
Tel: +44(0)20 7359 9782
Fax: +44(0)20 7226 8288
Mobile: +44(0)7958 339810
www.lexisnexis.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Martin Wallace [mailto:Martin_Wallace_at_umit.maine.edu]
Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2008 3:55 PM
To: PIUG Discussion List @ Listbox
Subject: [PIUG List] Summary: requirements for becoming a professional
patent searcher

Dear PIUG:

The following is a summary of responses to an inquiry that I made to the
PIUG discussion email earlier this August. This summary is intended to
provide information to newer information professionals with an interest
in patent information and who are
considering making patent information a major part of their career.

* Currently there are no concrete requirements, licenses or
certifications for becoming a professional patent searcher. This may
change over the next few years.
* It helps to have a degree in library/information science and a
bachelors or advanced degree in the technical area appropriate to the
type of patent searching you're interested in (usually mechanical,
electrical, or chemical engineering).
* For chemical and biochemical searching, it helps to have a masters or
PhD in the subject area, but this is not usually the case for mechanical
and electrical.
* Some patent agents later become professional searchers. Their
knowledge of patent law is highly beneficial for helping clients
evaluate patent information. However it is not a requirement for
searchers to have been agents or to know patent law.
* The information professional should enjoy reading patents, not merely
tolerate working with them.
* Fluency in one or more of the following languages, besides English is
useful: German, Japanese, and Chinese; other languages may also be
useful.
* Searchers should seek legal indemnity insurance for their safety, but
this is not required. Patent searchers being held legally liable for
'malpractice' is practically unheard of (one respondent pointed out one
case where a searcher was sued for
overlooking a very obvious piece of prior art)

Several responses to my inquiry were to inform me of specialized
training programs available for those interested in becoming
professional patent searchers. These seem to range from programs for the
beginner with little or no knowledge of patent
information to advanced seminars for continuing education.

This and more, including a few of the more detailed responses I
received, are posted on the PIUG wiki, but I don't think Tom is ready to
unveil the wiki yet. Once it is available for public view, I will post a
link to my page, and I'll start another
page listing the training opportunities mentioned above.

Thanks,

Martin Wallace, Librarian
Science & Engineering Center
Raymond H. Fogler Library
University of Maine
Orono, ME 04469
207-581-1678
fax: 207-581-1653
martin.wallace_at_umit.maine.edu
http://www.library.umaine.edu/staff/wallace.htm




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Received on Mon Sep 01 2008 - 21:57:36