Hybrid documents co-citation analysis: making sense of the interaction between science and technology in technology diffusion

The paper presents a methodology called hybrid documents co-citation analysis, for studying the interaction between science and technology in technology diffusion. Our approach rests mostly on patent citation, cluster analysis and network analysis. More specifically, with the patents citing Smalley RE in Derwent innovations index as the data sets, the paper implemented hybrid documents co-citation network through two procedures. Then spectrum cluster algorithm was used to reveal the knowledge structure in technology diffusion. After that, with the concordance between network properties and technology diffusion mechanisms, three indicators containing degree, betweenness and citation half-life, were calculated to discuss the basic documents in the pivotal position during the technology diffusion. At last, the paper summarized the hybrid documents co-citation analysis in practise, thus concluded that science and technology undertook different functions and acted dominatingly in the different period of technology diffusion, though they were co-activity all the time.