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The role of geographical proximity in knowledge diffusion, measured by citations to scientific literature

Giovanni Abramo, D’Angelo, Ciriaco Andrea and Flavia Di Costa

Journal of Informetrics, 2020, vol. 14, issue 1

Abstract: This paper analyses the influence of geographic distance on knowledge flows, measured through citations to scientific publications. Previous works using the same approach are limited to single disciplines. In this study, we analyse the Italian scientific production in all disciplines matured in the period 2010–2012. To calculate the geographic distances between citing and cited publications, each one is associated with a “prevalent” territory on the basis of the authors’ affiliations. The results of the application of a gravity model, estimated using ordinary least squares regression, show that despite the spread of IT, geographic distance continues to be an influential factor in the process of knowledge flows between territories. In particular, the analysis reveals that the effect of geographic distance on knowledge flows is significant at the national level, not negligible at the continental level, but completely irrelevant at the intercontinental level.

Keywords: Knowledge spillovers; Knowledge flows; Bibliometrics; Universities (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (15)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:infome:v:14:y:2020:i:1:s1751157719303347

DOI: 10.1016/j.joi.2020.101010

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