 |
| HomeSite
MapCustomer Logon |
|
Dialog1 |
 |
 |
|
||
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Support : eNewsletters : Chronolog Archives
From the Editor ProQuest recognized as technology innovator. InformationWeek 500 is considered to be unique among industry rankings for its spotlight on the power of innovation in information technology. ProQuest Chief Information Officer Bipin Patel acknowledged the ranking, saying it's an honor to be named to the prestigious roster of information technology innovators. He added that ProQuest customers and employees have long considered the company a leader in end-user-driven information technology innovations, and that it's gratifying to have those opinions confirmed by a respected team of industry analysts. ProQuest was recognized by InformationWeek for its establishment of a research and development team, which continually monitors new technologies and tests their applicability for researchers, librarians and end-users. ProQuest's innovation efforts are focused on investigating new ways in which its products can improve the quality of research, both in experience and in the breakthroughs it generates. In the coming months, we will be providing more information about how this innovation will be made available in the form of new capabilities for Dialog and DataStar customers. October in focus
Save the Date: 2009 Dialog Forums — North America Throughout 2009 Dialog has made significant progress in the development of our next-generation product, and we look forward to sharing our vision for the future with you at one of the Dialog Forums coming up this Fall in North America. These targeted, half-day customer events will include an overview of our product strategy, a review of the new user interface and an informative cost justification training session, as well as the opportunity for you to share your feedback while networking with colleagues. If you plan to attend the Dialog Forum in your area, we encourage you to register now so we can keep you updated on the event details as they become available. More information, including agenda and venue details, will be communicated and posted online as logistics are finalized.
N E W Access the highest quality resources on Chinese companies with Mergent China Private Company Database In our June issue we emphasized the importance of understanding China as its economy continues to explode. National and international companies worldwide are investing in research and development and manufacturing facilities in China, and it is vital for business and industry globally to keep abreast of all-things China.With the new Mergent China Private Company Database (File 558 / MERG) on Dialog and DataStar, you now can find information on more than 350,000 private and state-owned companies from the People's Republic of China (not included are Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau). This valuable database, updated quarterly, brings the business community of China to your fingertips. All records contain directory information about the company including:
More than 250,000 of the profiles also include up to three years of financial data—income statements (profit & loss accounts), balance sheets and cash-flow statements. The database provides unique insight on the most sought-after Chinese private companies, enabling precision research through its comprehensive company and financial data. To ensure the accuracy and completeness of the data, information is further reviewed and enhanced by Mergent content specialists. For more information, refer to the Bluesheet and Datasheet and to the BASE database on DataStar — search as BASE-MERG.
Research with lasting value: What retrospective content can do for you Older research once only available in print now is being digitized and re-indexed with modern search terms, giving researchers more comprehensive, worldwide coverage in the sciences and other subjects. Dialog is at the forefront of this trend by supplying information going back many decades so you can view landmark studies and discover hidden connections. Why use archived information? Use archived files to conduct deeper, more complete research:
Retrospective database highlights Biomedicine. A number of biomedical databases provide past information on medical breakthroughs and research conducted on humans and non-humans. For example, side effects and toxicities reported in the past can lead to better drugs in the future, such as is now the case with repurposing the drug Thalidomide. Cancelled drug development projects in the past may have enormous potential today because of increased technology. Identifying the trail of scientific thinking also helps to connect theories to new drugs. Dialog and DataStar databases—EMBASE® Classic (File 772 / EM73) back to 1947, BIOSIS Previews® (File 5 / BIZZ) from 1926 forward and Zoological Record Online® (File 185) from 1864—may have just the information you need for a new discovery. Engineering. For technical and scientific literature from physics to types of engineering, electronics, or computing information technology, you can find significant information in Inspec® (File 2 / INZZ) from 1898 forward, in Ei Compendex® (File 8) back to 1884 and in GeoRef (File 89 / GEOF) from the 1700s forward. For example, archive records in Inspec contain extended abstracts, sometimes several pages long, as well as tables, diagrams and graphics to support scientific arguments. Newspapers, newswires and business information. As the saying goes, history repeats itself. And newspapers are a voluminous resource for the world's history. Dialog continues to archive its news sources with such files as Gale Group Newspaper Index (File 111) from 1977, New York Times Abstracts (File 474) from 1969 and a number of others. PR NewsWire (File 813) from 1987 and UPI News (File 861) from 1996 also have current files so you can search them together for topics like the economy to receive a reality check on how economic downturns repeat themselves. Dialog Global Reporter from 1997 (File 20 / REPO) also allows you to search a broad range of subjects in the past and present while business files like PROMT® (File 160,16) from 1972 forward provide a comprehensive view of a topic. Check your Bluesheets for details about access to both archival and current stories. Intellectual property. U.S. Patents Fulltext (File 652) and CLAIMS®/U.S. Patents (File 340) enable searching for prior art back to 1971 and 1950, respectively. With Dialog's extensive collection of TRADEMARKSCAN® files, it is easy to find trademarks from the late 1800s and early 1900s in trademark files for Finland (File 679), Germany (File 672), Ireland (File 683), the United Kingdom (File 126), the United States (File 226) and other countries. On Dialog and DataStar the expanded back-file archives make it possible to view decades of significant breakthroughs along with the newest studies, using the same search terms and methodology all in one search. The most fruitful basis for the discovery of a new drug is to start with an old drug, and technology of the past may be the innovation of the future.
Free File of the Month Anyone can find good data on large, public companies. It's the small, private companies that present a greater challenge. For those smaller companies, American Business Directory (File 531) is a good place to start. The American Business Directory excels in three areas: coverage, accuracy and current information.
Quality is a key differentiating factor for File 531. Before reaching the customer, the information collected by infoUSA must first pass quality checks. The customized compilation process alone contains over 2,000 information validation checks. These checks are then supplemented by computer data cleansing processes such as duplicate removal and address standardization. Because specific indexing is added to each article, File 531 is especially useful to find targeted information, for example, a selective collection of companies based on specific criteria such as companies in a particular industry in a specific state. Review the Overview of American Business Directory to learn more about this comprehensive company database. Register for a free class highlighting American Business Directory on October 7 and 8. Throughout October, you can explore this file up to $100 (either DialUnits or connect time) for free. Output and Alerts charges are not included. Take this opportunity to try File 531 for free throughout October.
Dialog NewsRoom content notes New titles for health care and nursing Annual rollover: New database groupings The Record (File 743) removed; content available in Dialog NewsRoom
Spotlight on RAPRA Polymer Library RAPRA: Rubber and Plastics (File 323 / RAPR) has a new name: RAPRA Polymer Library. RAPRA is the world's largest informational database dedicated to plastics, rubber, polymeric composites and adhesives, and comprehensively covers the science, technology and business of polymers. International source material includes technical and news journals, conference proceedings, books and reports. The database has nearly one million records dating from 1972 to the present, with many hundreds of new records added every two weeks. The content is produced by a specialist team of abstractors who have worked with RAPRA for more than 10 years. They extensively index the content with keywords that indicate both the nature of the article (e.g., short item, technical, market data) and the topic content (e.g., polyurethanes, TPEs, rubber). These keywords aid the search process, as do the trade names and company names added to the records. Because RAPRA Polymer Library covers science, technology and business, the tool offers great value for departments across an organization: R&D can keep up with the latest developments on the chemistry and physics of polymers and find new ways to apply existing technology; Sales and Marketing can look at major market trends and keep an eye on the competition; Management can keep up with major industry news and Legal can carry out prior art searches.
New fields added to SciSearch and Social SciSearch The following new fields have been added to SciSearch®: a Cited Reference Science Database (File 34) and Social SciSearch® (File 7).
Search Tip: The "Squish rule" eliminates all non-alphanumeric characters (0-9,A-Z). SELECTing CN=N 05-1000008-8046 or CN=N0510000088046 will retrieve the same Dialog record.
Trademark files enhanced!
Another important feature is the introduction of the "English only" output formats (Formats 5 and 15) that display only English-language text fields for Goods/Services, Notes, Design Phrases and Lining/Color Claims (if present). Display of the Goods and Services field may include text from the English translation for non-English trademark files, or the original English description in multi-lingual files such as TRADEMARKSCAN® – Community Trademarks (File 227) and TRADEMARKSCAN® – International Register (File 671). Search prefixes and display formats are standardized across all 28 trademark files. Separate Bluesheets are available for each file giving a flavor of the trademark information available in any given database. The REPORT feature can be used to display trademark data in table format. Or, you can use the trademark template in DialogLink® 5 to turn trademark records into professional-looking Microsoft® Word documents or Microsoft® Excel spreadsheets. Remember — trademark files can be searched using the OneSearch category TMKS, covering all 32 trademark files including the 28 European and Asian files, as well as U.S. Federal, U.S. State, Canada and Mexico. The ASIATMKS category includes Australia, China, Japan and South Korea. The EUROTMKS category contains 24 European country files, as well as Community trademarks and International Register marks. Many trademark files contain marks registered over 100 years ago. In addition, some renewed trademarks may be even older, making it easy to conduct broad novelty searches that span well over a century.
Indian patent coverage extended Indian Granted Patents coverage in Derwent World Patents Index® (DWPISM) (File 350, 351, 352) is being extended by five years, back to January 2000. Added coverage of Indian patents further increases the value of DWPI as an essential resource for global prior art research and patentability searching, as well as competitive and technology trend analysis. As part of its value-added services, during the processing of the content Derwent editorial teams correct the data that has been published by the Indian patent office in the Official Gazette and through their home page (e.g., duplicate patent numbers, missing priority numbers and dates), making DWPI the most accurate of any available source for Indian data. Processing of the backfile is underway, beginning with the records published in November 2004. These records started appearing in DWPI update 200959. Data will be processed over the next three months, working back to records published in January 2000. Coverage and availability This latest development of a five-year backfile of Indian granted patents further improves the coverage of this important authority in DWPI and continues to place DWPI as the leading provider of value-added global patent content with a particular strength in the coverage of Asian authorities. Note: Application data in the Priority Field in DWPI
A Proximal and a Distal Tip
As our meeting time approached, I saw a well-dressed person in a suit running around the lobby, obviously looking for someone. He would walk quickly from one side of the lobby to the other and ask someone something I couldn't hear. I soon determined this was my contact and he didn't know what I looked like. Talk about hiding in plain view. Looking for patents can be similarly frustrating, especially looking for patent assignees. One anomaly deals with some assignees that use their names in different ways, especially those in which their company name may be translated in full and those that are translated piecemeal. For example, Mitsubishi Electric also goes by the name Mitsubishi Denki, and a proper search would include both forms. But how does one find out that "Denki" is Japanese for "Electric"? And of course, that brings up the problem of "what other names am I missing that could be used for other companies?" An easy way to find such names is to investigate databases that have struggled with assignee names and given codes to different spellings. For example, if you EXPAND PA=FUJI HEAVY IND in Derwent World Patents Index® (File 351), you will see a code in parentheses next to the proper entries. In this case, the code is FUJH and can be searched using the CK=FUJH (CK= for Patent Assignee code). Upon EXPANDing CK=FUJH you will see that the same code is used for "Fuji Heavy Ind" and also for an assignee called "Fuji Jukogyo." Thus, In Derwent WPI, it is possible to use codes to find multiple spellings for the same assignee. These spellings could then be used in other databases that do not have assignee codes. Taking this information into other databases, you can watch for multiple spellings. For example, searching the WIPO/PCT Fulltext database (File 349), you can EXPAND PA=FUJI HEAVY and notice that PA=FUJI JUKOGYO pops up afterward. Thus, you can now find multiple spellings in databases other than Derwent WPI. Indeed, in U.S. Patents Fulltext (File 654), there are only 38 hits on the Fuji Heavy Industries name, all in English and almost 2,000 with the name mainly in Japanese. Note, too, that some information providers, such as IFI CLAIMS (File 340), like to standardize assignees to one spelling in their databases, so the problem with the raw patent data from the patent applicants is rather cleaned up, with the bulk of the records for this assignee under "Fuji Jukogyo." Getting back to the rep who didn't know who I was, we finally connected. Even though I was sitting in plain view, he didn't know that I was the person he was looking for. So, please don't ignore the aids that are available to help you, especially when they are in plain view. Plain view—a great place to hide.
Use ProQuest full-text content and indexing to identify novelty
Defining novelty in patent law Therefore, when determining novelty, a search of patent-only literature may not be enough. All other sources, collectively termed non-patent literature or NPL, also should be factored into the equation and considered. If you miss discovering whether your idea is novel at an early stage, you could waste unnecessary research and development monies, as well as legal costs when the patent office rejects your application or revokes it at a later date. And this does happen. So how can ProQuest content complement a novelty search? What exactly can be useful?
A comprehensive patent prior art search should always include non-patent literature sources. ProQuest content can complement a patent prior art search on Dialog with (a) access to additional non-patent literature full-text sources and (b) access to hidden data within scientific journal images.
New: GeoRef: a new source of geological information on DataStar GeoRef (GEOF), from the American Geological Institute (AGI), is now available on DataStar. The file dates from the 1700s and is updated weekly so you can search archived and the latest information in the same search. The material represents technical literature of lasting value, gathered from worldwide sources, often unavailable elsewhere. GeoRef covers technical literature on geology and geophysics worldwide, including environmental and economic engineering, energy sources and hydrology, to name a few. It contains full bibliographic citations, abstracts, and indexing from more than 3,500 journals, as well as books and book chapters, conference documents, government publications, theses, dissertations, reports, maps, and many other sources. The GeoRef Vocabulary (OVOC) is available within GEOF and GEOP to enable you to find the most appropriate thesaurus terms quickly and easily. A separate In Process database (GEOP) contains records still in the process of being indexed so you are retrieving the most current information possible. For a complete guide to GEOF and GEOP, search as BASE-GEOF in the BASE database. |
Save the Date: 2009 Dialog Forums — North America Research with lasting value: What retrospective content can do for you Business & News Content Updates Intellectual Property Content Updates DIALINDEX®: Finding the right database Use DIALINDEX to choose the best databases and to fine-tune your search strategy. Begin your search in DIALINDEX® (File 411) to identify the best databases for your search. Although you can BEGIN and search up to 60 databases, DIALINDEX is an "index of indexes" and allows you to scan several hundred databases simultaneously to determine how many hits will be retrieved by a particular search term. File 411 "Supercategories" are very large groupings of files; for example, ALLBUSINESS scans 360 files, ALLNEWS 150 files and ALLSCIENCE 306 files. Consult the File 411 Bluesheet and view our At a Glance "Using DIALINDEX®, a Database Finding Tool" on-demand, recorded, short module for more tips on using this powerful finder file.
Medical Evidence Matters: Easier, faster, evidence-based decisions Learn about treatments available for particular conditions. Compare and contrast the outcomes from clinical trials and the effectiveness of demonstrated therapies. Discover other factors (e.g., patient's age, sex, other treatments) that might impact the effectiveness of therapies. With access to ProQuest Medical Evidence Matters (MEM), you can do it all. MEM draws information from hundreds of peer-reviewed journals to help users choose the best therapy options for patients with confirmed diagnoses. It is the only tool that can help find and synthesize — quickly — the relevant published and peer-reviewed evidence to answer researchers' individual patient-oriented questions. It covers 10 subject areas including cardiology, endocrine and metabolic disorders, neurology, oncology, respiratory disorders and others. Results are organized into summary graphs and tables, so you can assess evidence for the effectiveness of the range of therapy options for individual patients. Add ProQuest Medical Evidence Matters to your search tools:
November Free File of the Month Foodline®: SCIENCE (File 53), a unique database containing abstracts that not only summarize the key data but also spell out the commercial implications for the food industry, will be offered as the free file for November. Containing more than 780,000 records from 1972 to date, Foodline: SCIENCE covers all aspects of the major food and drink product sectors, including basic research, processing, microbiology, nutrition and health, pest control and pesticides, sensory evaluation, composition and analysis, food safety, shelf-life, product development and innovation, waste treatment, retailing, biotechnology, environmental issues, hygiene, packaging, quality assurance and crisis management. Search up to $100 (connect time or DialUnits) in the file for free in November. Output and Alerts costs are not included. See an Overview of File 53 to learn more about this food science database on Dialog.
Reminder: Database Changes Web page To keep track of the detailed changes to Dialog and DataStar databases, review the Database Changes Web page. New entries are added regularly and past entries are continuously updated as changes occur.
Periodical Abstracts Plus Text adds 400 new titles Approximately 400 additional full-text titles have been added to Periodical Abstracts PlusText, (File 484), more closely aligning the Dialog database with the titles available from the online ProQuest product. In addition, the database is now updated daily instead of weekly, giving you earlier access to the enhanced content. Titles, published in countries worldwide, cover a broad range of subjects including law, education, health care, nursing, the environment, engineering, business, science and more. Many journals date back to the 1990s, with some even into the 1980s. Some sample titles will give you a flavor for these new sources in File 484: Harvard International Review, Canadian Journal of Public Health, Nursing Forum, Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, Environmental Health Perspectives, Manufacturing Engineering, Power Engineering, The China Business Review, to name some. A key new source of information is the law review journal from prestigious colleges such as Harvard, Indiana University, Washington and Lee and more. Take advantage now of this new full-text coverage in Periodical Abstracts PlusText.
Enhancements to display in Ulrich's Periodicals Directory Ulrich's Periodicals Directory™ (File 480) has enhanced its record display. The Year First Published field can now be displayed using the PY tag; a new label Alternate Edition Status (ES) has been added as a display tag. Check the Database Changes Web page for details.
Petersons' databases reloaded The annual reloads for Peterson's College Database (File 214) and for Peterson's GradLine (File 273) have both been completed. These files contain updated comprehensive information for 2009 on undergraduate and graduate institutions respectively. The primary coverage is for U.S. and Canadian institutions, but there is some coverage for institutions from other countries. The files contain detailed information on academic programs, entrance requirements, accreditation, academic aid, student population mix and many other relevant categories.
Training Schedule Check the training schedule for October classes worldwide, including the Intellectual Property classes featured in this issue. Highlights include Derwent World Patents Index®, scheduled for October 29 covering unique content and value-added indexing including Japanese F-Terms, IPCs and Derwent Class Codes. "Prior Art Searching in Patent and Technology Literature on Dialog" (November 12) and "Finding Patent and Literature Citations in Patent Files on Dialog" (November 19) are sessions you won't want to miss. Check the descriptions. Patent experts Ron Kaminecki and Ian Pearce will present Innography® overviews as part of the North America and EMEA Public Training Schedule. Register to learn how you can use this intellectual property business intelligence application to more easily manage, protect and leverage your patent portfolios.
Handy search aids If you search biomedical databases, a new Biomedical Files Quick Comparison chart will help you identify differences and search techniques among these files: MEDLINE® (File 154), EMBASE® (File 73), BIOSIS Previews® (File 5) and SciSearch®: a Cited Reference Science Database (File 34).
Introducing Quantum2 coaches
As a Training Consultant who speaks four languages with an MA in translation, Gabrielle Derriks has been an active Quantum2 coach offering sessions in Germany, France, Holland and Belgium. In January 2007, she took on a new dual role in addition to her training responsibilities to promote and develop the Graduate Education Program in Europe. When she joined Dialog in 1997, she already had a long career in private education and the business world.
Dialog Search Tip: Using American Business Directory indexing In this search tip we want to produce a list of companies that deal with plastics raw materials in Chester County, Pa. In a matter of minutes, we can accomplish this using American Business Directory (File 531). The secret is to EXPAND the primary SIC code 2821 for plastics materials, synthetic resins and nonvulcanizable elastomers and look for infoUSA's more specific two-digit extensions with descriptors (282101 — raw materials, powder, lqd, resin). This search retrieved six companies located in the specified county. Finally, we use the REPORT command to create a list containing the company names, cities and telephone numbers. ?EXPAND PC=2821
?SELECT E4
?SELECT S1 AND CX=CHESTER
AND ST=PA
?REPORT S2/CO,CY,TE/1-6
DataStarClassic Search Tip: When was a database last updated? In DataStarClassic™ a quick way to find out when the database you are searching last updated is to enter the command ..DB. This command displays details of the database update frequency and the latest update date for the file you are currently searching. Using this command also gives you information on the total number of documents contained in the database, prices and functions available. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Support Home
View
as PDF
A redesign and reload of 28 European and Asian trademark databases provided by Thomson
Compumark has brought many new features to the trademark database collection. Triggered by the switch to XML source data formats, the changes have resulted in the addition of color images and improved image clarity, and records with images are much easier to find: simply include RT=IMAGE in your search. The sample color image for Guava appears here.
One day I was to meet a new Dialog representative in a hotel lobby so we could jointly visit customers. I was to help out his clients with some of their sticky patent problems, and he was to answer questions outside of the area of patents. We coordinated our schedules, and I got to the lobby a bit early, luckily finding a chair from which I could see all going on in the busy hotel.
There are many compelling reasons to search patents. Gathering competitive intelligence, evaluating emerging businesses, analyzing technological trends and identifying licensing opportunities are just some of the uses for patent information. One of the most common reasons for searching patent information, though, is to find out whether an invention is actually new (novel) or not before proceeding with further development of the invention and then potential filing at the patent offices where legal protection is desired. This concept of novelty is a key cornerstone of worldwide patent law, and if your invention is not novel, then it can't be patented.
Quantum