Science and technology are intertwined fields in modern world; science envisages theoretical principles and applications. Technology is the application of scientific experiments. In the continuously evolving world of academia, researchers publish papers and file for patents of their inventions. Most academic researchers also work as consultants in R & D laboratories. For example, they may be adjunct professors in universities and also subject matter experts for industries. In totality, technology is the application of science. It is important to note that citations cannot be a measurement of innovations and disruptions. Patent applications include detailed information about novel information. By filing patents, scientists and consultants can avoid legal disputes about its authenticity. Moreover, patent citations also lay foundation to novel areas of licensees. Examiners of patents play a pivotal role in examining the patent applications.
Patent citations are an essential component of scientific literature
Country: European and American patent offices have different sets of standards for filing patent applications. Some patent examiners cite papers published in their countries, while other patent examiners cite papers published internationally. This introduces domestic bias in the process of patent citations.
Field: The number of patents filed also depends on the field of study. For example, life science fields such as Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Genetics are fields of study in which large number of non-patent technical documents are filed currently. On the other hand, Engineering is a field in which large numbers of patent documents are filed in current times.
Journal: It is important to note that there is absolutely no connection between patent citation and the impact of citation in a journal. In a patent application, there will be information cited from papers published in average journals. Papers are cited in noted journals of science and technology as they break the technology barrier. Within scientific literature, there are many factors that govern patent citations. In certain disciplinary subjects, more references are included.
In some countries, scientists prefer citing articles that are published in their own countries; however, there are countries wherein scientists prefer publishing in international journals. Nevertheless, citations cannot be an indicator of impact factor and quality of research. The data receives interesting insights whenever we make comparison between inventions in a patent office. In World Intellectual Property Organizations (WIPO), most patents included research publications from the UK. Moreover, patent citations of US research publications is stable and while there is a downtrend of variance for patent citations from China.
Conclusion Patent citation is an integral component of innovation and research in academic publishing.