Literature research
Proper information management requires a thorough literature search. A plethora of scientific articles is published every day, rendering identification and selection of the relevant publications cumbersome and time-consuming. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to use the right tools and a suitable search strategy to answer a research question as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Depending on the needs of my customers, I conduct my searches in PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar after careful elaboration and selection of the most suitable search strings. If desired, I will also pre-select the most relevant publications and provide a summary of the research results, based on the published abstracts. Another possibility is the continuous provision of literature updates, e.g. monthly or quarterly, using the alert functions of the databases.
Clinical study registries
A second important pillar of information management is the search of international trial registry databases for ongoing and completed studies in your field of research or business. It is essential to know early what’s coming up on the horizon to identify both supportive but also potentially critical data before it is published and to prepare for an adequate response.
The search portal of the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) allows the most extensive search as it accesses information from 17 international registries. It, therefore, helps you to stay informed on the activities of your competitors but also academic research worldwide.
Patent search
The third pillar to complete the picture is the search for existing patents and patent applications, e.g. via the search portal of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). For companies, it provides valuable insights into the research and innovation activities of other players in the field and therefore is an important contribution to business intelligence.
