Science and Technology Output Indicators in the Islamic Republic of Iran: A Case Study on the Relevance between Patents and Scientific Products of Iranian Inventors

Alaee Arani, Mohamad; Naghshineh, Nader; Taheri, Sayyed Mahdi

Science and Technology Output Indicators in the Islamic Republic of Iran: A Case Study on the Relevance between Patents and Scientific Products of Iranian Inventors

Authors

Mohamad Alaee Arani

Nader Naghshineh

Sayyed Mahdi Taheri

Abstract

The output of scientific products represents the efforts of scientific and industrial communities. The study on this output shows scientific attitudes and approaches of a community towards world of science. Quantitative studies can give a representation of the size and extent of the scientific efforts of researchers in special occasions, or a particular society. Patents are one of these important outputs. In this study, the names of Iranian inventors were extracted by carrying a combined search and the analysis of patent data available through Europe Patent Office (EPO), the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Japan Patent Office (JPO), and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) databases. Inventors amount of scientific products were also evaluated by using citation indexes in Thompson Reuters (formerly ISI) Web of Science. Content analysis research method was adopted. Results of this study reported no significant correlation was found between scientific output and patent application. Findings also indicated a 6.5 percent contribution of patent researcher in comparison with non-patent researchers of Iranian indexed articles by Web of Science.

Keywords

Patents

scientific productivity

Iranian inventors

United State Patent and Trademark Office

Europe Patent Office

Japan Patent Office

World Intellectual Property Organization