XPAT RecDoc (Research and documentation)

XPAT RecDoc is an add-on module to the XPAT system in which conducted research (the underlying strategy, the current results) can be systematically documented. With the help of the documentation, it is much easier to find a suitable entry point into the subject matter for later assignments, and by updating the results, it is possible to benefit greatly overall in terms of the time required as well as in terms of the knowledge gained.

Systematically documented research

The database module XPAT RecDoc is intended to fulfill the task of systematically documenting search or evaluation tasks that arise in the patent department. This means that XPAT users can enter search requests in XPAT RecDoc, which will be processed by an assigned person. Who is not familiar with the problem of having to carry out a search for which there are already reminders of the kind "we've been through this before...?" But XPAT RecDoc is not only an excellent tool for such cases, no, imagine that another employee is now to research what has already been researched once. Avoiding duplicate work but also building on existing results and not having to start from scratch again and again, that is the outstanding benefit of this module.

Interaction between researcher and client

When the first interim results are available, they can be sent to the client of the search in order to discuss clarifications and specifications as soon as possible. The client is made aware of these requests by the system. It is then an interactive process in which at the end it will be documented what exactly was researched to answer the set task, where it was researched and above all what results were achieved in this research. The result can simply be handed over to the client.

The goal is the reusability of the search results

If, in the course of time, new requests come to the patent department, it is first possible to research in the XPAT RecDoc whether there were not already related, similar requests that can be used as a foundation for the new searches that may need to be expanded. This saves a good part of the work and you do not have to start all over again. This relieves the available capacities enormously and also involves the developers in the searches. The result is an enormous spread of knowledge in the company.

In addition to files, e-mail correspondence can also be stapled to the documentation

In addition to the actual searches, the associated correspondence (today mostly in e-mail form) is also recorded and assigned to the search requests. In this way, everything can be easily retrieved. In this way, it is possible to trace at any time what was researched and what the results were at certain points in time, and what exactly the detailed search task and its background were. Viewing the search and its results in context is very important for assessing the results. The search file number can be transferred to XPAT documents and there is also a connection to XPAT files

What exactly can be documented in XPAT RecDoc?

• The internal searches that gave good results.
• The external searches, no matter where searches have been made.
• The internal hit lists, which provide a snapshot of the results.
• The publication number lists of the documents that are highly relevant in the XPAT RecDoc search file.
• The corresponding e-mail correspondence.

It is very important that the corresponding search file reference can be transferred to documents in the patent database, so that the significant and important results can be recorded for a search file. The client has direct and permanent access to the search results. Now it is very easy to have the results available at a later date and to track their progress.