Open research questions in Environmental and Social Impact Assessments
64 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 676 Environmental and Social Impact Assessments papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.
What the literature leaves open
The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of the role of special interest in environmental policy. The study highlights the need to analyze the relationship between environmental organizations and votes on environmental issues.
Assessments are biased by the values and beliefs of the institutional researcher and administrators - Limited by the availability of credible and balanced sources
Further study on the impact of external environment on institutional planning - Development of more advanced techniques for assessing the external environment
The difficulty of anticipating and responding to changes in the external environment. The challenge of allocating resources effectively in response to emerging issues. The need to balance efficiency and completeness in the scanning process.
The lack of a systematic approach to identifying emerging issues. The need for a more effective way to allocate resources in response to changes in the external environment.
The paper notes that opinion polls are crude guideposts, especially when dealing with an issue as diffuse and encompassing as the environment. The paper also notes that questions like those posed in the poll are not a reliable guide to future voting behavior.
Future research should continue to monitor public opinion on environmental issues. Future research should analyze the impact of environmental policies on public opinion.
The paper identifies a gap in the ability of institutions to recognize and predict changes in their environment - It highlights the need for techniques to scan the environment and match the mission and strengths of institutions to changes in their environment
The study only focuses on the topic of wilderness. The sample is limited to adults in Illinois. The study does not investigate other factors that may influence environmental approval.
The Relationship between Information Levels and Environmental Approval: The Wilderness Issue · 1980 · DOIFurther investigation on the relationship between information levels and environmental approval. Investigation of other factors that may influence environmental approval. Development of environmental education programs that focus on increasing informational levels about environmental issues.
The Relationship between Information Levels and Environmental Approval: The Wilderness Issue · 1980 · DOIThe traditional approach to planning in institutions is no longer effective in the context of limited resources and changing student needs. There is a need for a new approach to managing resources, one that takes into account the changing needs of students and the limited resources available.
There are no clear criteria on the basis of which to decide what risks are acceptable. The various approaches to determining acceptable risks have limitations.
The high failure rate of new issues to become recognized and responded to. The scarcity of public resources for dealing with environmental issues. The need to establish a relationship between the issue and prevailing values within the political system.
The lack of understanding of how environmental issues emerge and gain attention. The need to analyze the processes by which issues command attention, claim legitimacy, and invoke action.
There is a lack of clear definitions, indicators, and standards for environmental impacts. Current methods for assessing environmental impacts are insufficient.
Further theoretical and empirical work is needed to test the proposed propositions. Research should focus on developing strategies for coping with environmental uncertainty, hostility, and heterogeneity.
There is a lack of systematic framework for understanding organizational responses to environmental factors. Prior research has identified key environmental features, but a comprehensive framework is needed.
The paper identifies a lack of awareness about the environmental crisis in the US. The need for a shift in public attitudes towards environmental issues is highlighted.
The planning profession's lack of substantive environmental planning theory and methodology is a significant gap. The profession's tendency to follow national awareness of environmental issues rather than leading it is another gap.
Further study on the effectiveness of state governments in environmental planning and management. Research on the development of operational criteria for residuals management and environmental resource planning. Investigation into the impact of federal residuals management policy on environmental quality.
The need for operational criteria for residuals management and environmental resource planning. The lack of flexible tools for neutralizing economic incentives to pollute. The need for policy-oriented technology assessment.
The paper suggests that future research should focus on developing effective policies and programs for achieving environmental quality objectives. The paper notes that future research should emphasize the importance of environmental monitoring, research, and public information in achieving environmental quality objectives.
The paper identifies a gap in the existing literature on environmental quality, which is the need for a multiple-objective approach to evaluating environmental quality issues. The paper notes that prior work has emphasized the need for a narrow problem-solving approach, which is insufficient for addressing environmental quality issues.
The development of reliable indicators to assess and evaluate the consequences of environmental disruption. The elaboration of policies and methods of control for environmental disruption.
The lack of reliable indicators to assess and evaluate the consequences of environmental disruption. The need for a better understanding of the causal process of environmental disruption.
Most-cited papers in Environmental and Social Impact Assessments
- Comparative Risk Assessment: Where Does the Public Fit In? · Science Technology & Human Values · 1998 · 58 citations
- Understanding and managing the interactions of impacts from nature-based recreation and climate change · AMBIO · 2020 · 54 citations
- Concern for the Environment Among General Publics: A Cross-National Study · Society & Natural Resources · 2007 · 50 citations
- Validity and scope sensitivity of the Work for Environmental Protection Task · Journal of Environmental Psychology · 2023 · 36 citations
- After 50 years of social impact assessment, is it still fit for purpose? · Current Sociology · 2023 · 28 citations
- Questioning Impact: A Cross-Disciplinary Review of Certification Standards for Sustainability · Business & Society · 2022 · 27 citations
- Amazon environmental services: Why Brazil’s Highway BR-319 is so damaging · AMBIO · 2022 · 25 citations
- The IPCC Sixth Assessment Report on Climate Change Impacts · Population and Development Review · 2022 · 24 citations
- Stakeholder Perceptions of the Environmental Effectiveness of Multi-stakeholder Initiatives: Evidence from the Palm Oil, Soy, Cotton, and Timber Programs · Society & Natural Resources · 2018 · 23 citations
- Citizen Language and Administrative Response · Administration & Society · 2014 · 17 citations
Most recent work
- NetDeal: Streamlining Environmental Impact Assessment complex networks to integrate new EU environmental policies · Research Ideas and Outcomes · 2026
- Matrix Approaches for Cumulative Impact Assessments in Decision-Making · Environmental Justice · 2026
- Australia’s reformed environment protection and biodiversity conservation framework: what it means for oil and gas · Australian Energy Producers journal. · 2026
- Reflecting on three decades of environmental impact assessment (EIA) training and research in South Africa · Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal · 2026
- Environmental impact assessment follow-up in offshore wind energy development: strengths and gaps from regulatory frameworks in the international context · Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal · 2026
- Environmental Assessment to analyze impacts of NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service determination that the Yurok Tribe’s Tribal Resource Management Plan meets the requirements of the Endangered Species Act Tribal 4(d) Rule · National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - NOAA Central Library · 2026
- Regulatory Simplification of Environmental Impact Assessment in Spain: Accelerating Renewable Energy at What Cost? · Climate Law · 2026
- Aligning nature sustainability reporting requirements across national, business and farm scale: lessons from Ireland · Journal of Environmental Management · 2026
- Exploring public acceptance of low impact development within the City of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada · Urban Water Journal · 2026
- Indigenous Homelands and Environmental Assimilation: Canada’s Impact Assessment Act (2019) and the Public Interest Determination · International Indigenous Policy Journal · 2026
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