Barriers to the use of patent information in UK small and medium-sized enterprises. Part 2 (1): Results of in-depth interviews

Abstract

In-depth interviews were carried out in 23 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to explore issues regarding their use or non-use of the patent system and patent information. A semi-structured interview approach was adopted. Among the issues explored were: (i) the level of research and development and propensity to innovate, (ii) patenting behaviour and appropriability, (iii) the way patent information is obtained and expectations of patent information, (iv) the reasons for patent information being used and (v) the impact of the Internet on these issues. A classification to differentiate segments of the SME patent information market is proposed. The three segments are called 'inept' or 'irrelevant', 'unaware' and 'aware'. The latter group can be further broken down into six types: avoiders, offloaders, defenders, learners, checkers and professionals. The paper concludes that approaches to SMEs' use of patent information hitherto has been too simplistic. A strategy for increasing patent use information among the different segments is recommended. 50 1 2

Mineração de Patentes e Pequenas Empresas: Uma Revisão Sistemática da Literatura Sobre Oportunidades de Negócio Sob a Ótica da Inovação Aberta

“…Elas abrem a possibilidade de aperfeiçoar o seu modelo de negócios ao identificar produtos que não estejam protegidos em determinado país, sendo assim passíveis de comercialização (Hall, Oppenheim, & Sheen, 2000;Hall et al, 1999).…”

Information limits: definition, typology and types

“…medical information (Wales, 2000); patent information (Hall et al, 1999(Hall et al, , 2000; European information (Marcella, 2001); or in the context of everyday-life information seeking (Harris andDewdney, 1994, Julien, 1999).…”

“…Lack of information skills -lack of preparation to information searching through traditional and electronic sources (bibliographies, catalogues, databases and search engines); lack of knowledge about information sources, about libraries (Mount, 1966;Seymour and Schofield, 1973;Mellon, 1986;Haag, 1989;Andrews, 1991;Chacha and Irving, 1991;Katz and Aspden, 1997;D'Alessandro et al, 1998;Julien, 1999;Jacobs, 1998;Lazonder et al, 2000;Hertzum and Pejtersen, 2000;Monopoli and Nicholas, 2000 -unfamiliarity Terminology barrier -special vocabulary, specific language (Mount, 1966 -an inquirer lacks knowledge of the vocabulary used by a particular set of tools; Engelbert, 1974;Summers et al, 1983 -understanding research reports;Buckland, 1991 -understanding: cognitive access;Schmidt and Wellems, 1992;Hall et al, 1999Hall et al, , 2000Spang and Baker, 2000;Marcella, 2001;Augustine and Greene, 2002;Eriksson-Backa, 2008).…”

“…Nevertheless, the majority of detailed typologies are connected with using a single source of information: for example, a library (Mount, 1966; Chacha and Irving, 1991; Andrews, 1991; Vanes, 1993; Westbrook, 2003); the internet (Dempsey, 2000; Ming, 2000; Cullen, 2001; Younis, 2002; Brophy and Craven, 2007; D'Aubin, 2007); a special kind of information, e.g. medical information (Wales, 2000); patent information (Hall et al , 1999, 2000); European information (Marcella, 2001); or in the context of everyday‐life information seeking (Harris and Dewdney, 1994, Julien, 1999).…”

“…In the literature they are also known as: subjective (Engelbert, 1974); internal (Lantz, 1984; Julien, 1999); micro‐barriers (Arad and Finkler, 1977); intellectual (Warner et al , 1973; Marcella et al , 2002); individual barriers (Wilson, 1981); educational (Vanes, 1993); psychological (Warner et al , 1973; Mount, 1966; Vanes, 1993; Revere et al , 2007; Tonge, 2008); physiological, cognitive and emotional characteristics (Wilson, 1997); cognitive (Pálsdóttir, 2008). They comprise: Unawareness barrier – lack of knowledge that relevant information exists or a tendency to search only for information of which a person knows that surely exists (Engelbert, 1974; Haag, 1989; Hall et al , 2000; Wales, 2000; Goh and Hooper, 2009; Harris and Dewdney, 1994; Wilson, 1997; Girard, 2005; Wallis, 2006; Shenton, 2008; Lilley, 2008). Lack of information skills – lack of preparation to information searching through traditional and electronic sources (bibliographies, catalogues, databases and search engines); lack of knowledge about information sources, about libraries (Mount, 1966; Seymour and Schofield, 1973; Mellon, 1986; Haag, 1989; Andrews, 1991; Chacha and Irving, 1991; Katz and Aspden, 1997; D'Alessandro et al , 1998; Julien, 1999; Jacobs, 1998; Lazonder et al , 2000; Hertzum and Pejtersen, 2000; Monopoli and Nicholas, 2000 – unfamiliarity with the search methods; Cullen, 2001 ‐ lack of ICT skills; Younis, 2002; Hewitson, 2002; Westbrook, 2003; Onwuegbuzie et al , 2004 – knowledge about library, mechanical barriers; Rehman and Ramzy, 2004; Girard, 2005; Wallis, 2006; Lilley, 2008; Bertulis, 2008; Haridasan and Khan, 2009; Goh and Hooper, 2009).…”