A Comparison Between Core Patents That Including and Excluding Self-Citations

Abstract

The use of a recently developed methodology to disclose core technologies for a specific topic by using citation networks inherently contains the issue of self-citation. When self-citations are included, the consequence may be that the importance of the core technology is overstated- it could lead us to misunderstand a de facto industry structure and to miss technological development trends. In this study we propose a new methodology which recognizes that in counting citations, including the self-citations will inherently make the patent seem more important than it really is. Using the OLED industry, we compared the results of the two methodologies. Our approach helped to find the technology development areas of competitors, trace their development trends, and recognize other core technologies of a company, which could not be disclosed when considering self-citations. Our methodology can improve the ability to understand patent information, allowing the identification of important strategic implications and thereby the establishment of countermeasures and will also improve tracking of technological competiveness.