A user’s viewpoint to the EPIDOS meeting, 1999

1. A user’s viewpoint to the EPIDOS meeting, 1999 Stephen Adams, Magister Ltd., GB - Patents Documentation Consultancy (c) Magister Ltd, October 1999

2. Anyone will tell you that…. • The information industry is changing • information product markets are re-forming • fragmentation (e.g. NTIS) • producers are becoming suppliers as well • new users are entering the market • the needs of existing users are changing (c) Magister Ltd, October 1999

3. …but what are the effects? • One size does not fit all any longer (if it ever did) • There is demand for • a range of products • via a range of distribution media / methods • leading to the need for • a range of technical support • using a range of training methods and systems (c) Magister Ltd, October 1999

4. Some initial questions • Who are the users? • today • in the future • in the past • What are the products? (c) Magister Ltd, October 1999

5. Some typical user groups • Information specialists • Attorneys • Large corporate end-users • resource rich / demanding / complex infrastructure (slow to respond?) • SME end-users • resource poor / unfamiliar with products • simpler infrastructure - IT implications (c) Magister Ltd, October 1999

6. Some typical products • Paper : European Patent Bulletin • CD-ROM / DVD : Espace series • Electronic databases : EDOC / INPADOC • Internet : Esp@cenet • Software : MIMOSA / EPOQUE • Professional services : JP information (c) Magister Ltd, October 1999

7. A broad product range demands broad product support • Technical support : using the product • telecomms lines, SMO cards, jukeboxes, Java • Content support : what’s in the product? • “Open to Public Inspection” or “Open to Public Incomprehension”? • Training support : using the product better • both beginners and advanced • Development support : for better products • constant liaison & dialogue with users (c) Magister Ltd, October 1999

8. 1. Technical support • It’s not an easy job ! “Was none who would be foremost to lead such dire attack but those behind cried ‘Forward!’, and those before cried ‘Back!’ ” • Thomas Macaulay, “The Lays of Ancient Rome - How Horatius kept the Bridge” (c) Magister Ltd, October 1999

9. 1. Technical support • The medium is NOT the message • The information content is far more important than how it is distributed. • Existing users may not wish to adopt the latest technology immediately. • New users may not have the resources to do so. (c) Magister Ltd, October 1999

10. 2. Content support • All users expect quality products • errors may deter customers - permanently! • High-level users expect detailed information about the sources which they are using • INPADOC User Meetings • even with “end-user” tools like Esp@cenet (c) Magister Ltd, October 1999

11. 2. Content support • Low-level users need more “hand-holding” • better information materials • The online hosts cannot do it all without EPO support • if the EPO wishes to be distribute its own products, it must be prepared to support them (c) Magister Ltd, October 1999

12. 2. Content support • Common information content must be consistent across the range • sources which purport to contain the same information must say the same thing (or else provide an explanation why not) in the same way. • If they do not, users will lose faith in the quality of the products (c) Magister Ltd, October 1999

13. 2. Content support • The issue is not about “making information available” • it is “making useful information accessible” • “Useless” information is either • unobtainable or • unintelligible • We have made progress on the first, but perhaps not enough on the second. (c) Magister Ltd, October 1999

14. 2. Content support • A reminder as we approach the year 2000 • c. 210 countries in the world • 149 in the Paris Convention • 134 in the WTO • 102 in the PCT • 66 in INPADOC bibliographic file • 22 in INPADOC legal status file • 6 recording PCT transfer data (c) Magister Ltd, October 1999

15. 3. Training support • There are (at least) 2 ways to classify EPO information products • by content and medium • INPADOC / Espace / EPO Register • online / CD-ROM / Internet • or by function and user-group • current awareness / retrospective search / status • information specialist / end-user / attorney (c) Magister Ltd, October 1999

16. 3. Training support • The present EPO training programme is a “train by product” approach : • one course on INPADOC, one course on EPO Register etc… • Perhaps the time has come to “train by function” : • Sources for current awareness, sources for legal status etc... • “Sell by product, train by function” (c) Magister Ltd, October 1999

17. 3. Training support • If online / disk-based help files solved the problem, then why do we see so many books such as • “…….. for Dummies” • “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to …..” • “……… in 10 easy lessons” • “Sound-bite” help files merely occupy disk space. (c) Magister Ltd, October 1999

18. 3. Training support • Survey results : • “A substantial proportion of SME’s are deterred from using patent information because they have no-one to interpret the results for them.” • Oppenheim et al., Journal of Information Science (in press) (c) Magister Ltd, October 1999

19. 4. Development support • Large / expert users must be prepared to allow the EPO to develop end-user products • The EPO should be able to direct • development resource (money!) • human resource to new product development, BUT • Existing products must not be neglected in the race to new markets (c) Magister Ltd, October 1999

20. 4. Development support • “Change is good - you go first…” (Dilbert) • When products are being developed, users must be kept informed • before • during • and after • Changes need to be documented and incorporated into training material (c) Magister Ltd, October 1999

21. Recommendations • Continue to improve internal consistency • Keep supporting a broad range of products • content • medium • Expand the training and support function in Vienna • more hands, not just more money • revised / improved training courses • Keep talking to users - actual or potential (c) Magister Ltd, October 1999