Working Paper: NBER ID: w21868
Authors: Adam B. Jaffe; Gatan De Rassenfosse
Abstract: The last two decades have witnessed a dramatic increase in the use of patent citation data in social science research. Facilitated by digitization of the patent data and increasing computing power, a community of practice has grown up that has developed methods for using these data to: measure attributes of innovations such as impact and originality; to trace flows of knowledge across individuals, institutions and regions; and to map innovation networks. The objective of this paper is threefold. First, it takes stock of these main uses. Second, it discusses four pitfalls associated with patent citation data, related to office, time and technology, examiner, and strategic effects. Third, it highlights gaps in our understanding and offers directions for future research.
Keywords: patent citation; social science research; innovation; knowledge flows
JEL Codes: O31; O32; O34
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| number of forward citations (A14) | technological impact (O33) |
| fewer backward citations (A14) | more radical or basic inventions (O35) |
| diversity of citations (A14) | novelty of inventions (O31) |