How do you document and report R&D patent search results?

1 Define your search strategy

Before you start searching for patents, you need to define your search strategy, which includes the scope, objectives, sources, keywords, and criteria of your search. Your search strategy should be aligned with your R&D goals and reflect the current state of the art in your field. You should document your search strategy in your report, explaining the rationale, methods, and limitations of your search. This will help you and your readers understand the context and validity of your search results.

2 Organize your search results

Once you have collected your search results, you need to organize them in a logical and meaningful way. You can use different tools and techniques to sort, filter, classify, and analyze your search results, such as spreadsheets, databases, charts, graphs, or software applications. You should also assign a relevance score or rating to each patent result, based on how closely it matches your search criteria and objectives. You should document your organization process and tools in your report, showing how you managed and evaluated your search results.

3 Summarize your key findings

After you have organized your search results, you need to summarize your key findings and insights in your report. You should highlight the most relevant and significant patents that you found, describing their features, benefits, drawbacks, and implications for your R&D project. You should also identify any gaps, opportunities, threats, or trends that you discovered in your search. You should document your summary in a clear and concise way, using tables, graphs, or diagrams to illustrate your points.

4 Provide your recommendations

Based on your summary of key findings, you need to provide your recommendations for your R&D project or stakeholders in your report. You should explain how your patent search results can inform your R&D decisions, such as whether to pursue, modify, or abandon a certain idea, product, or technology. You should also suggest any further actions or research that may be needed to address any issues or questions that arose from your patent search. You should document your recommendations in a persuasive and actionable way, using evidence and examples to support your arguments.

5 Format and present your report

Finally, you need to format and present your report in a professional and readable way. You should follow the guidelines and standards of your organization or industry for patent search reports, such as the structure, layout, style, and language of your report. You should also include any relevant information and references, such as the date, author, title, source, and number of each patent result. You should document and present your report in a consistent and coherent way, using headings, subheadings, bullets, numbers, or other devices to organize and emphasize your information.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?