Patent citation inflation: The phenomenon, its measurement, and relative indicators to temper its effects

Abstract

In recent decades, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has been granting more and more patents with more and more references, which has led to patent citation inflation. Citation counts are a fundamental consideration in decisions about research funding, academic promotions, commercializing IP, investing in technologies, etc. With so much at stake, we must be sure we are valuing citations at their true worth. In this article, we reveal two types of patent citation inflation and analyze its causes and cumulative effects. Further, we propose some alternative indicators that more accurately reflect the true worth of a citation. A case study on the patents held by eight universities demonstrates that the relative indicators outlined in this paper are an effective way to account for citation inflation as an alternative approach to evaluating patent activity.