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Systematic Map of the Social Impact Assessment Field

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  • Ricardo J. Bonilla-Alicea

    (Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA)

  • Katherine Fu

    (Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA)

Abstract

Social impact assessment (SIA) provides a methodology for defining, monitoring and employing measures to demonstrate the benefits and/or harms created for target communities through evidence of social outcomes and impacts. Although a recent increase in the number of applications is seen, SIA lacks consensus in its methodology, which increases ambiguity and complicates the generalization of any results obtained from individual studies. The objectives of this study are to investigate the methodology of SIA in order to define trends, state of the art, limitations, knowledge gaps, and to recommend future research directions. This study employs a systematic mapping to determine the methods available to perform SIA, and more importantly to identify a set of fundamental challenges faced by practitioners using SIA. Articles are searched through online databases, and are limited to the English language. A total of 81 articles published between 2009 and 2019 were selected, of which 49 included a case study application. A total of 12 fundamental challenges were identified, based upon the screened articles, which serve as a starting point for future research directions to further enhance the SIA methodology.

Suggested Citation

  • Ricardo J. Bonilla-Alicea & Katherine Fu, 2019. "Systematic Map of the Social Impact Assessment Field," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(15), pages 1-30, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:15:p:4106-:d:252870
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Hashem Amini Toosi & Monica Lavagna & Fabrizio Leonforte & Claudio Del Pero & Niccolò Aste, 2023. "Towards Sustainability Assessment of the Built Environment: A Classification of the Existing Challenges," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-16, August.
    2. Belen Lopez & Alfonso Torres & Alberto Ruozzi & Jose Antonio Vicente, 2020. "Main Factors for Understanding High Impacts on CSR Dimensions in the Finance Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-17, March.
    3. Zafar, Imaad & Stojceska, Valentina & Tassou, Savvas, 2024. "Social sustainability assessments of industrial level solar energy: A systematic review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 189(PA).
    4. Luigi Corvo & Lavinia Pastore & Arianna Manti & Daniel Iannaci, 2021. "Mapping Social Impact Assessment Models: A Literature Overview for a Future Research Agenda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-16, April.
    5. Irene Huertas-Valdivia & Anna Maria Ferrari & Davide Settembre-Blundo & Fernando E. García-Muiña, 2020. "Social Life-Cycle Assessment: A Review by Bibliometric Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-25, August.
    6. Mahathir Mohammad Bappy & John Key & Niamat Ullah Ibne Hossain & Raed Jaradat, 2022. "Assessing the Social Impacts of Additive Manufacturing Using Hierarchical Evidential Reasoning Approach," Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, Springer;Global Institute of Flexible Systems Management, vol. 23(2), pages 201-220, June.
    7. Flávio Mattos & João Luiz Calmon, 2023. "Social Life Cycle Assessment in Municipal Solid Waste Management Systems with Contribution of Waste Pickers: Literature Review and Proposals for New Studies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-18, January.

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