The Identification of Mainstreams of Regional Innovation Development by Co-Word Analysis Methodology

Document Type : Research Article (Original Article)

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Faculty of Management and Economics, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.

2 PhD candidate of Science and Technology Policy, Faculty of Management and Economics, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.

3 Associate Professor, Faculty of Management and Industrial Engineering, Malek Ashtar University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Regional Innovation Development (RID) has become so important in the recent decades, especially for large and developing countries. There are controversial views regarding the aspects of innovation development in regions among geographers, planners and policy makers. This paper has tried to make clear the mainstreams of Regional Innovation Development concept and their borders by Co-words analysis methodology. In this paper, three hundred papers from 1990 to 2012 in the Scopus and SAGE scientific databases are used for presenting RID conceptual map as an output of Cowords analysis methodology. Thereafter, the consequences of Co-words analysis are investigated by existing literatures in Regional Innovation Development. The results of Co-words analysis beside RID conceptual map on the basis literature review made clear the borders and characteristics of RID mainstreams. Finally, the RID concepts and theories are clustered in three mainstreams. This categorization helps policy makers to realize RID mainstreams for making better decisions based on scientific and applicable attitudes. Furthermore, , academic environments and experts based on the results of this research can be concentrated more on policy implications and roots of RID mainstreams.

Keywords