Procedure Manual
The Manual for Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP) is a manual for patent agents and patent examiners published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). It describes all of the laws and regulations that must be followed in the examination of U.S. patent applications.
The manual is also used extensively by patents agents/attorneys to help make sure they follow the proper USPTO regulations.
The manual provides useful guidance to members of the public on how to present persuasive arguments to a patent examiner as to why a patent should be granted on a given patent application. See in particular Chapter 2100 on Patentability