نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
نویسندگان
1 عضو هیات علمی دانشگاه تبریز
2 گروه آموزشی علم اطلاعات و دانش شناسی دانشگاه تبریز
3 گروه علم اطلاعات و دانش شناسی دانشگاه تبریز
4 Applied Modelling and Quantitative Methods, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
چکیده
کلیدواژهها
موضوعات
عنوان مقاله [English]
نویسندگان [English]
Purpose: This research aims to conduct a comprehensive comparative analysis of the gender-based disparities in patent registration activities among Iranian inventors, utilizing both national and international intellectual property databases. The study is designed to investigate multiple dimensions of this gap, including the comparative rates of participation between women and men, the specific roles they assume as primary or secondary inventors, and the patterns of national versus international collaboration. Furthermore, it examines the nature of patent ownership—differentiating between individual, academic, and corporate assignees—to understand the institutional contexts of innovation. The research also identifies the primary technological fields and International Patent Classification (IPC) codes where female inventors are most active. Finally, it maps the geographical distribution of this gender gap across Iran's provinces to discern regional patterns of innovative activity and disparity.
Methodology: This applied research employs a descriptive-analytical design within a scientometric framework. The statistical population encompasses all patents granted to Iranian inventors, drawn from two distinct sources: the national database of Iran’s Official Gazette (comprising 19,551 patents) and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) database ( comprising 240 patents). The data covers a six-year period from 2011 to 2016 (equivalent to 1390-1395 in the Iranian calendar). Data collection involved meticulous extraction and cleaning processes. A significant methodological challenge was the absence of a dedicated gender field in patent databases. To address this, inventor names were processed using Microsoft Excel for organization and, crucially, the external application programming interface (API) genderapi.io was employed to infer gender, a step especially pertinent for the international dataset with foreign collaborators. The analytical phase utilized specialized software: NodeXL was used for visualizing collaboration networks and thematic maps, while VOSviewer assisted in scientometric mapping and cluster analysis. Comparative indicators were systematically applied to quantify and contrast the extent of the gender gap across both databases.
Findings: The analysis reveals a persistent and significant gender gap in Iranian patenting output. Men constituted the overwhelming majority of inventors, accounting for 83% of inventors in the USPTO database and 84% in the national Iranian database. Conversely, women's participation was markedly lower, representing just 17% and 16% of inventors in the respective databases. A positive finding, however, was an observable upward trend in women's participation rates over the studied six-year period. Delving into the nature of inventorship, the study found a stark contrast in the roles undertaken: women were far less likely to be listed as the first named inventor (a proxy for the lead contributor) compared to men (5% vs. 35% in the USPTO data). Their involvement was predominantly in collaborative patents rather than individual ones. Thematic analysis using IPC codes indicated that Iranian women inventors were most active in the fields of Chemistry (C07), Medicine/Veterinary Science (A61), and Electrical Engineering (H01). Analysis of international collaboration showed it was markedly more prevalent among male inventors, suggesting a potential network access gap. Regarding ownership, within Iran, the majority of patents (89%) were held by individual owners, with corporate (5.4%) and academic (5.2%) entities playing a much smaller role. In contrast, for international filings at the USPTO, academic assignees showed a relatively stronger presence. Geographically, patenting activity was heavily concentrated in major urban centers such as Tehran, Isfahan, Karaj, and Mashhad. The gender gap was a consistent feature across all provinces, but its intensity varied, mirroring the overall concentration of innovative activity.
Conclusion: The study concludes that a substantial gender gap in patent registration among Iranian inventors persists, consistent with global patterns but showing signs of gradual improvement. Women remain underrepresented, particularly in lead inventor roles and international co-invention networks. Their innovative contributions are concentrated in specific scientific fields. The geographical analysis underscores that innovation in Iran is highly centralized, with the gender gap being a nationwide phenomenon. These insights highlight the critical need for targeted policy measures and institutional reforms. Initiatives could include fostering supportive research environments for women in academia and industry, implementing mentorship programs, creating networking opportunities to enhance international collaboration, and introducing incentives for female-led innovation. Addressing these barriers is essential for fostering a more equitable and inclusive national innovation ecosystem, thereby fully harnessing the scientific and technological potential of the entire Iranian population. This study provides significant value to multiple stakeholders in the field of innovation policy and gender studies by offering a novel and comprehensive empirical analysis of the gender innovation gap within Iran, a context that is critically understudied.
کلیدواژهها [English]
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