Patent Statistic Manual

This manual provides guiding principles for using patent data in S&T measurement and recommendations for compiling and interpreting patent indicators in this context. It aims to show what patent statistics can be used for, what they cannot be used for, and how to count patents to maximise information on S&T activities while minimising statistical noise and biases. Finally, it describes how patent data can be used to analyse a wide array of topics related to technical change and patenting activity, including industry-science linkages, patenting strategies by companies, internationalisation of research, and indicators on the value of patents.