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Conducting a Subject Search

The best way to identify patents on a similar technology is to use the "building block" approach.

This involves breaking up the search question into separate blocks and then identifying as many appropriate synonyms as possible. We then combine the blocks together and view the results. If necessary, we can add or subtract a block and add or subtract terms within a block. As long as similar concepts are in the same block this reshuffling of concepts is easy.

Step 1: Selecting Search Terms

Terms I might use to answer Brian's request about TV and video games on aircraft could include:

Concept 1	Concept 2	Concept 3
video	game	aircraft
television	entertain	airplane
tv	amuse	flight
t.v.	amusement	fly
	play	inflight
		in-flight

Tip 6-1

Go to the next page.

6-2

Learn More #1: Logical Operators:

There are two ways to put a search strategy together.

1. We can put all of the search terms together in one search statement. If this method, called nesting, is used and we use AND and OR operators in the same search query, we must group the synonyms using parentheses.

Example:

?s (threat? or hazard?) and (radon or asbestos)

2. We can use the building block approach by creating a separate set for each concept and then grouping the sets together.

Example:

s threat? or hazard?
s radon or asbestos
s s1 and s2

We are using Method 2 in our search strategy.

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Search Tip 6-1:

When we are thinking of synonyms for words, we must also think about words that may be two-word phrases, as well as hyphenated words. All variations should be part of our synonym list.

In a database like Derwent World Patents Index, where a British company creates the database, we should also think about British terms like "telly" for television.