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Gender differences in patenting activity: An examination of the US biotechnology industry

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  • G. Steven McMillan

    (Penn State Abington)

Abstract

The gender gap in science and technology has received considerable attention by both researchers and policy makers. In an effort to better understand the quantity, quality, and underlying characteristics of female research efforts, I integrate three existing databases to uncover how female patenting activities differ from men’s in the US biotechnology industry. Data on how much science the patents build upon, the author institutions of that science, and who funded the papers in which the science appears are all examined. In addition, using the NBER Patent Citation Data Files, I propose a possible gender-based life cycle model for patenting activity. The policy implications of my findings are also discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • G. Steven McMillan, 2009. "Gender differences in patenting activity: An examination of the US biotechnology industry," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 80(3), pages 683-691, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:80:y:2009:i:3:d:10.1007_s11192-008-2101-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-008-2101-0
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bronwyn H. Hall & Adam B. Jaffe & Manuel Trajtenberg, 2001. "The NBER Patent Citation Data File: Lessons, Insights and Methodological Tools," NBER Working Papers 8498, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Bronwyn H. Hall & Adam Jaffe & Manuel Trajtenberg, 2005. "Market Value and Patent Citations," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 36(1), pages 16-38, Spring.
    3. Fiona Murray & Leigh Graham, 2007. "Buying science and selling science: gender differences in the market for commercial science," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 16(4), pages 657-689, August.
    4. McMillan, G. Steven & Narin, Francis & Deeds, David L., 2000. "An analysis of the critical role of public science in innovation: the case of biotechnology," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 1-8, January.
    5. Kjersten Whittington & Laurel Smith-Doerr, 2005. "Gender and Commercial Science: Women’s Patenting in the Life Sciences," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 30(4), pages 355-370, October.
    6. Francis Narin & Gabriel Pinski & Helen Hofer Gee, 1976. "Structure of the Biomedical Literature," Journal of the American Society for Information Science, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 27(1), pages 25-45, January.
    7. G. Steven McMillan & Robert D. Hamilton, 2007. "The public science base of US biotechnology: A citation-weighted approach," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 72(1), pages 3-10, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Mendonça, Joana & Reis, Anabela, 2020. "Exploring the mechanisms of gender effects in user innovation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    2. Merouani, Youssouf & Perrin, Faustine, 2024. "Women Inventors: On the Origins of the Gender Patenting Gap," Lund Papers in Economic History 255, Lund University, Department of Economic History.
    3. Claire Bonnard, 2011. "Les incitations à l'innovation dans le secteur privé," Post-Print halshs-00599700, HAL.
    4. Gema Lax Martínez & Julio Raffo & Kaori Saito, 2016. "Identifying the Gender of PCT inventors," WIPO Economic Research Working Papers 33, World Intellectual Property Organization - Economics and Statistics Division.
    5. Yu Meng, 2018. "Gender distinctions in patenting: Does nanotechnology make a difference?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 114(3), pages 971-992, March.
    6. Domingo Sifontes & Rosa Morales, 2020. "Gender differences and patenting in Latin America: understanding female participation in commercial science," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 124(3), pages 2009-2036, September.
    7. Jussi Heikkilä, 2019. "IPR gender gaps: a first look at utility model, design right and trademark filings," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 118(3), pages 869-883, March.
    8. Loarne-Lemaire, Séverine Le & Bertrand, Gaël & Razgallah, Meriam & Maalaoui, Adnane & Kallmuenzer, Andreas, 2021. "Women in innovation processes as a solution to climate change: A systematic literature review and an agenda for future research," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    9. Mojgan Samandar Ali Eshtehardi & Seyed Kamran Bagheri, 2015. "Gender Gap in Patenting Activities: Evidence from Iran," LEM Papers Series 2015/22, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
    10. Wang, Yukai & Yang, Zhongkai & Liu, Lanjian & Wang, Xianwen, 2020. "Gender bias in patenting process," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 14(3).

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