Most inventions are a solution to a problem. Most problems have several solutions, to persuade one that your idea is better one needs to know what alternatives are.
A prior art/ state of the art search allows one to:
Provisional – not examined, placeholder patent
Nonprovisional – examined – three types
Databases: Remember to look at both patent and non-patent literature
To review the basics of patents, and inventor and entrepreneurial resources, look at the US Patent and Trademark Organization (USPTO).
A few sample non patent databases:
Abstracts from the Compendex database, which includes the electronic version of Engineering Index, with links to full text articles, patents, standards and handbooks in scientific, applied science, technical and engineering disciplines.
Scopus, the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature, features smart tools to track, analyze and visualize research. Scopus delivers the most comprehensive overview of the world’s research output in the fields of Science, Technology, Medicine, Social Sciences, and Arts & Humanities. As research becomes increasingly global, interdisciplinary and collaborative, Scopus helps ensure that crucial research from around the world is not missed.
Google search for scholarly literature, including peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, preprints, abstracts and technical reports on all topic areas. Use to find articles from academic publishers, professional societies, prepublication repositories and universities.
Various business databases such as: IBIS, Gale, PRoquest, Business Source Elite and Nexus Uni
The Art of Patent Searching
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