A citation-based research framework for exploring policy diffusion: Evidence from China's new energy policies

Zhichao Ba, Yaxue Ma, Jinyao Cai and Gang Li

Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 2023, vol. 188, issue C

Abstract: The citation-based approach has been applied extensively to explore the dynamic evolution and historical development of scientific research and technological advances, while it has rarely been used to analyze the dynamics of policy diffusion. Policy citations signify the flow of specific legislative knowledge in the legal system, which can provide traceable and measurable footprints for tracing the path of policy progress. To this end, this paper proposes a quantitative citation-based research framework for inspecting the patterns and evolution process of policy diffusion. First, time-varying policy citation networks at different stages are constructed by extracting citing/cited links of policies embedded in the textual content of policy documents. Pattern characteristics, topic dynamics, and historical trajectories of policy diffusion are then revealed by scrutinizing succinct structures of policy citation networks. An experimental study of large-scale new energy policies (NEPs) in China confirms the reliability of the citation-based approach in tracking policy diffusion. The introduced approach enriches the current methodology for policy research and provides valuable references for policymakers to judge their policymaking process.

Keywords: Policy diffusion; Citation analysis; Diffusion pattern; Historical trajectories; New energy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:188:y:2023:i:c:s0040162522007946

DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2022.122273

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