What types of documents can be submitted as evidence in a patent application reply?

This page is an FAQ based on guidance from the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure. It is provided as guidance, with links to the ground truth sources. This is information only: it is not legal advice.

Applicants can submit various types of documents as evidence when replying to an Office action. The MPEP provides examples:

“Documents may be in any form but are typically in the form of an affidavit, declaration, patent, or printed publication.”

These documents can be used to support arguments related to patentability issues raised in the Office action, such as demonstrating that an element in the claim is operative or that a term has a recognized meaning in the art.