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Acknowledgment analysis: insight into biopharmaceutical company-funded papers and patents

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  • Xinyuan Zhang

    (Soochow University)

  • Qing Xie

    (Shenzhen Polytechnic University)

Abstract

Acknowledged collaborations between academia and the biopharmaceutical industry are prevalent and indispensable for biomedical progress; however, discourse on using acknowledgment information to explore collaboration characteristics has been limited. This study investigates collaborations to address this knowledge gap by analyzing the acknowledgment section of research papers and the associated patents, focusing on 33 prominent biopharmaceutical companies that are members of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. This research characterizes the acknowledged collaboration on three levels. First, quantitative characteristics, including the distribution of funded papers and the average number of acknowledged companies per article, are assessed. Second, the network structure is analyzed to demonstrate increased collaboration or interconnectivity between biopharmaceutical companies and academic research institutions. Third, a topic analysis using Dirichlet multinomial regression topic modeling identifies trends in funded papers and patents, using word embedding techniques to assess topic consistency. The results indicate an annual increase in the average number of funding foundations, reflecting sustained industry enthusiasm. A temporal analysis of the acknowledged network reveals progressive growth in size and connectivity, indicating expanding and deepening collaborations. Companies maintain existing partnerships and seek new academic partners. Topic evolution trends differ between funded papers and patents, highlighting significant differences in topic consistency. This study can aid policymakers and industry leaders in refining policies to encourage biopharmaceutical research investments and provides strategic insight into competitors’ investment patterns.

Suggested Citation

  • Xinyuan Zhang & Qing Xie, 2025. "Acknowledgment analysis: insight into biopharmaceutical company-funded papers and patents," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 130(2), pages 999-1044, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:130:y:2025:i:2:d:10.1007_s11192-025-05238-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-025-05238-w
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