Chemical patents and structural information ‐ the Sheffield research in context

This paper focuses on the importance of chemical patents as an information source. After an outline of this importance, the discussion concentrates principally on the area of structural information, highlighting some of the special characteristics that are found in the generic (Markush) type of description, in order to place in context some of the research work at Sheffield University. A brief summary is given of the important highlights of the research, performed by a team headed by Professor Mike Lynch from 1979 to 1995.