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Of significance for patents information during the past decade or so have been the major changes in patents legislation, improvements to the publications of the principal patenting systems, and the transforming effects of computerized databases. The review covers these changes and outlines the current publication procedures of the European Patent Convention, Patent Cooperation Treaty, and the major national systems. The importance of the patent specification as a source of information, and developments during this period in its construction and bibliographic data are explained. Official and non‐official publications associated with the specification are covered. Particular emphasis is given to computer databases covering patents, since they now form a powerful, numerous and growing means of searching specifications in the majority of subject fields. Reference is made to efforts to increase general awareness of the value of patents as information and to improve their availability by schemes such as the UK's Patents Information Network.

Many abstract journals include patent specifications in their coverage thereby providing references to the most up‐to‐date sources of information which might otherwise be ignored by technicians in smaller enterprises and by students. A survey of some of these journals shows that while many do provide good coverage and indexing, the selection criteria for the patent specifications are sometimes questionable and bibliographic details are inaccurate or misleading. Standards for the identification of patent documents have been developed by the World Intellectual Property Organization and are in world‐wide use by patent offices. Their adoption by abstract journals is strongly recommended.

With a few exceptions copies of patents are easy and relatively cheap to acquire. The patents holdings of major depositories are listed and some of the potential pitfalls affecting requests for copies are considered. The value of tapping the bibliographical skills of the supplying libraries is emphasized.

Aarhus Kommunes Biblioteker (Teknisk Bibliotek), Ingerslevs Plads 7, Aarhus, Denmark. Representative: V. NEDERGAARD PEDERSEN (Librarian).

The purpose of this paper is to describe a case study to test the applicability of the discrete choice experiment (DCE) method to assess the preferences of carers of people with dementia. The focus of enquiry was home care provision.

A multi-method approach was adopted for this pilot study. A literature review identified key characteristics of home care for dementia. This informed consultations with lay representatives. Key attributes of home care for the DCE were identified and formed the basis for the schedule. In all, 28 carers were recruited by two voluntary organisations to complete the DCE. A multinomial logistic regression model was used to analyse the data.

Seven attributes of home care for people with dementia were identified from the consultation. The use of the DCE approach permitted the identification of those most important to carers. Despite the modest sample, statistically significant findings were reported in relation to five of the attributes indicating their relevance. A lay involvement in the identification of attributes contributed to the ease of administration of the schedule and relevance of the findings.

This study demonstrated the utility of a DCE to capture the preferences of carers of people with dementia and thereby gather information from carers to inform policy, practice and service development. Their involvement in the design of the schedule was critical to this process.

IT WAS THE then Duke of Gloucester who, observing the said Mr Gibbon (of Roman Empire fame) writing, said, to quote as accurately as my reference source will allow, ‘Another damned thick square book! Always scribble, scribble, scribble, scribble! Eh! Mr Gibbon!’

I AM INDEBTED to Verbatim: the language quarterly, February 1977 issue, for the information that the measuring unit of female beauty is something called the milli‐helen, which is defined as the amount of beauty required to launch one ship.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the information behaviours of patients newly diagnosed with dementia.

This is a cross-sectional qualitative study, using in-depth interviews with 13 people recently diagnosed with dementia.

Reactions to a diagnosis of dementia varied and these influenced the perception of the value of information when making sense of the diagnosis. Information was avoided if participants did not feel that they could influence their situation; instead, participants relied on internal explanations to normalise their memory loss. Barriers to information seeking and use included not knowing who to speak to, perceived stigma associated with dementia and difficulty of applying generic information to own situation. Some participants valued information that confirmed their suspicions and provided explanations.

This study was based on a small sample size (n=13), the findings may not be generalisable to all people with dementia; however, the findings may be transferable to people who have recently been diagnosed with dementia.

There is not a one-size-fits-all approach to information provision for people with dementia at diagnosis, information should be tailored to individuals.

There is a need to address the feeling of powerlessness and futility that some people with dementia experience at diagnosis, as this precludes independent information seeking and use. People receiving a diagnosis may need additional support and information pertinent to their specific circumstances, separate from the information needs of their carer(s).

The study provides a new understanding of the information behaviours of people recently diagnosed with dementia and how these differ from those of informal carers.