Are patents good sources for academic research?
Are patents good sources for academic research?


In general, a clear NO. Typically, patents are intentionally written in a diffuse language to cover as much ground as possible (without incuring the danger of claiming something already known for oneself).  They are not written in a way that they can be used by an engineer or understood by a scholar. They are written such that the courts later can decide in favor of the patent holder or their representative.