Reference Services Review

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to broaden the inclusion of patent searching in information literacy instruction by extending it from chemistry and engineering into the life sciences.

Design/methodology/approach – Two case studies, one undergraduate and one graduate, from two Canadian universities described the addition of patent searching to information literacy instruction in genetics and biotechnology.

Findings – Results indicate that the integration of patents into information literacy sessions at the undergraduate and graduate levels not only enhance students' information literacy skills, but also help students learn more about the disciplines of genetics and biotechnology.

Practical implications – The results of this paper have practical and pedagogical implications for librarians teaching students how to use patents as a primary source of scientific information in the life sciences and may provide useful information for any librarians who wish to introduce students to patents.

Originality/value – While most of the literature about the integration of patent searching in information literacy instruction focuses on chemistry and engineering, this paper shows how integral patent information is to the life sciences, and how familiarity with patent searching can enhance student understanding of the scientific information environment.