Linking science to technology: the patent paper citation and the rise of patentometrics in the 1980s

Purpose In this article, the ideas and methods behind the patent-paper citation are scrutinised by following the intellectual and technical development of approaches and ideas in early work on patentometrics. The aim is to study how references from patents to papers came to play a crucial role in establishing a link between science and technology. Design/methodology/approach The study comprises a conceptual history of the patent paper citation and its emergence as an important indicator of science and technology interaction. By tracing key references in the field, it analyses the overarching frameworks and ideas, the conceptual hinterland, in which the approach of studying patent references emerged. Findings The analysis explains how interest in patents - not only as legal and economic artefacts but also as scientific documents - became evident in the 1980s. The focus on patent citations was sparked by a need for relevant and objective indicators and by the greater availability of databases and methods. Yet, the development of patentometrics also relied on earlier research, and established theories, on the relation between science and technology. Originality/value This is the first attempt at situating patentometrics in a larger societal and scientific context. The paper offers a reflexive and nuanced analysis of the patent-paper citation as a theoretical and historical construct, and it calls for a broader and contextualised understanding of patent references, including their social, legal and rhetorical function.

Automated summary

This article examines the history of patent-paper citation and analyzes the development of patents as important indicators of science and technology interaction. The study shows that interest in patents as scientific documents began to emerge in the 1980s, leading to the development of patentometrics.