What are patent citation metrics and how can I use them?
Answer
What are patent citation metrics?
Patent citation metrics measure the influence of academic research on technological innovation. When a patent cites a research output, it indicates that the scholarly work contributed to the development of new technologies, products, or processes. These metrics provide evidence of broader impact beyond academia, demonstrating real-world relevance and commercial application.
Why use patent citation metrics?
Patent citations offer valuable insights into the societal and technological impact of research. They can be used to:
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Evidence real-world impact
Show that your research has contributed to innovation—useful for impact case studies or institutional reporting. -
Identify industry connections
Discover which companies or inventors have cited your work, helping to identify potential commercial partnerships or areas of applied interest. -
Strengthen funding applications
Demonstrate the tangible outcomes of your research by highlighting links to real-world technologies.
How can I find out if my research has been cited by patents?
You can use SciVal, Elsevier’s research intelligence platform, to find and analyse patent citations linked to your publications.
Getting started with SciVal
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Register for access
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Go to www.scival.com
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Use your University of Manchester email address to register
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Log in to explore available features
Finding patent citations
Within SciVal:
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Navigate to the "Explore" Module and locate your researcher profile or group of publications (further information on using SciVal)
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Analyse Patent Citations: Once your profile or publications are loaded, you can:
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View the number of patents citing your work.
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Identify the organisations or inventors citing your research.
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Explore related technological fields.
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Export and Share Insights: SciVal allows you to export data for reports or presentations, making it easy to share your findings with stakeholders.
Further support
📘 Elsevier provides more detailed guidance here:
👉 Using patent data in SciVal
📞 For tailored help with analysing patent citations or accessing & using SciVal, please contact the Office for Open Research