Abstract:
The relationship between science and policy is crucial for shaping society’s well-being, as policy decisions are significantly influenced by high-impact papers. However, the factors driving policy citations of academic papers remain unclear despite extensive research on paper citations. In this study, we examined the citation patterns between 230,000 papers and intergovernmental organizations' policy documents published after 2015, finding notable differences in policy citation rates across countries. These variations are influenced by factors such as publishing journals, proximity to policy, and the authors’ previous policy citations. Highly-cited authors often play a dominant role in certain fields, forming influential networks, particularly in areas like climate change. Our findings provide insights into the mechanisms underlying the integration of scientific knowledge into policymaking.
Kimitaka Asatani is a lecturer in the Department of Technology Management for Innovation in the School of Engineering at the University of Tokyo, specializing in complex network analysis and the science of science. His recent research focuses on scientific knowledge diffusion, progress in science topics, and the science ecosystem between basic and applied research. He also specializes in Twitter analysis and mobility data analysis.
The relationship between science and policy is crucial for shaping society’s well-being, as policy decisions are significantly influenced by high-impact papers. However, the factors driving policy citations of academic papers remain unclear despite extensive research on paper citations. In this study, we examined the citation patterns between 230,000 papers and intergovernmental organizations' policy documents published after 2015, finding notable differences in policy citation rates across countries. These variations are influenced by factors such as publishing journals, proximity to policy, and the authors’ previous policy citations. Highly-cited authors often play a dominant role in certain fields, forming influential networks, particularly in areas like climate change. Our findings provide insights into the mechanisms underlying the integration of scientific knowledge into policymaking.