Search Aids
Assignee Name and Chemical Vocabulary Database
The keywords used in searching the CLAIMS® Uniterm and Comprehensive databases are controlled vocabulary terms (assignee terms, compound terms, fragment terms, and general terms).
Every IFI vocabulary term has a corresponding five digit term number, which may be obtained by consulting IFI's Online Assignee Name and Chemical Vocabulary Database or the appropriate online reference file on Dialog, STN and Questel-Orbit.
The following keyword vocabulary listings are offered for use with
the CLAIMS® chemical patent databases:
Assignee Name List
Compound Vocabulary
Fragment Vocabulary
General Vocabulary
General Term Thesaurus
The Assignee Name List is a listing of all companies having U.S. chemical patents issued since 1950. It may be searched alphabetically or by company number. The Assignee Name List is available on the Online Database as well as in a print edition.
The compound term vocabulary represents over 16,000 specific structurable chemicals included in IFI's compound registry system.
The Compound Vocabulary may be searched alphabetically, with term numbers listed with each name. Synonymous names for the same chemical are entered on the list and are referenced by the same compound term number, e.g., PIVALIC ACID and TRIMETHYLACETIC ACID have the term number 81189.
The Compound Vocabulary can also be searched in numerical order with all synonyms grouped together under the same number. Starting dates indicate the year each compound term was added to the IFI registry. Note that only one compound name is searchable in the Online Database, even when more than one synonym is listed for a term, so it is generally preferable to use term numbers rather than term names when searching compound terms.
You can also search compounds in order by their molecular formulas. This is useful for determining whether or not a particular compound is in the IFI compound term vocabulary.
IFI's fragmentation system uses a controlled vocabulary and systematic rules to describe chemical compounds in terms of the substructural segments which characterize them, such as functional groups and ring structures. The Fragment Vocabulary can be searched in alphabetical and numerical order. Functional groups and rings are listed under the prefixes "F" and "R", respectively, to group them together.
There are two versions of the Fragment Vocabulary, one for use with the CLAIMS® Uniterm database, and one for use with the CLAIMS® Comprehensive database. The fragment terms for the two databases cannot be used interchangeably. Both versions are included in the Online Database.
The General Term Thesaurus is helpful in determining appropriate general term keywords to use in conducting searches. It is used to find additional terms (broader, narrower, or related ) as well as certain arbitrary descriptors (USE references), and explanatory notes are included for many terms. For each term, the Thesaurus indicates the date the term was added to the IFI vocabulary. Both the term number and name appear in the Thesaurus.
The General Term Vocabulary provides searchable general terms and term numbers in both alphabetical order and in numerical order. If a general term can be searched with role indicators, an "R" will appear between the term number and name in both the Thesaurus and the General Term Vocabulary.
The general term vocabulary includes descriptors for processes, reactions, uses, physical properties, polymer classes, tradenames, natural materials, and other non-structurable chemicals.
Online Access to Assignee Name and Chemical Vocabulary Database
An annual subscription to IFI's Online Assignee Name and Chemical Vocabulary Database is only $225.00. The assignee name list, compound vocabulary, fragment vocabulary, and general terms vocabulary with thesaurus relationships can also be found in CLAIMS® Reference (file 124) on Dialog, and in IFIREF on STN. The IFI Compound Registry can be searched in IFIREF on STN, CLAIMS/Compound Registry (file 242) on Dialog, and CRegistry on Orbit.
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