Rethinking patent search: Boolean vs. semantic approaches

In the world of patent research, the debate between Boolean and semantic search methods is more alive than ever. It’s fascinating how much time and energy professionals invest in crafting complex Boolean syntax—hours spent perfecting every AND, OR, and NOT—while often neglecting to give semantic search the same attention and rigor. Semantic search, which leverages machine learning to understand the context and meaning behind queries, is sometimes dismissed quickly if it doesn’t instantly replicate the results of a painstaking Boolean search. But does that comparison even make sense?