Patent specifications are usually considered to be a special type of document and do not fully conform to the traditional classification of three-dimensional documents.
1. Tertiary documents: Usually, the "tertiary documents" mentioned in academic research refer to a citation system, that is, the first document is the original research publication (such as a journal article, papers, etc.), the second literature is the review, review or other secondary literature that cites the first literature, and the third literature is the literature that cites the second literature. This citation system is used to trace the sources, evaluation and synthesis of research.
2. Patent specification: The patent specification is a document submitted by the patent applicant, which describes in detail the technical features, implementation methods and application fields of the invention, utility model or design. Patent specifications are different from traditional academic research documents in that they are mainly used to describe technological innovations rather than to express academic research.
3. Citation relationship: Patent specifications are usually not regarded as tertiary documents in academic research, because the citation of patent specifications is different from the citation of traditional academic documents. Patent applicants usually cite existing patents in related technical fields in patent specifications to demonstrate their innovations. These citations do not necessarily follow a traditional citation system, but are used to demonstrate the relationship between prior technology and one's own innovation.
4. Academic value: Although patent specifications are cited differently from traditional academic documents, they have important academic and practical value in the technical field. Patent specifications record the process of technological development and innovation points, which can provide technical information and inspiration for other researchers, and can also provide legal protection for technology commercialization.
In summary, although patent specifications are not strictly regarded as traditional three-dimensional documents, they have unique importance in the technical field. Patent specifications record the details and background of technological innovation, providing valuable information resources for technology development, commercialization, and researchers. Therefore, when considering citing and utilizing a patent specification, judgment needs to be made based on its unique nature and use.