Social Life-Cycle Assessment: A Review by Bibliometric Analysis
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2020
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MDPI
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This study examined the literature on social life-cycle assessment (S-LCA) published in the
last 15 years (2003–2018) using bibliometric methods. Applying scientific mapping and analyzing
publication performance, the study describes the structure of and trends in S-LCA publications in
terms of related subject categories, authors, journals, countries, and highly cited articles. Challenges
and research gaps in the S-LCA literature were also explored. The content of related papers published
in the ISIWeb of Science databases was examined to identify the main themes investigated, evolution
of publication activity, and most representative elements. Analyses were conducted with SciMAT
software. This tool enables researchers to map research specialties by extracting qualitative information
in the specialized literature and representing it using quantitative measures. The results show rapid
and exponential growth of the S-LCA research line in the past ten years, with a clear upward trend in
related publications (mostly case studies), especially after publication of the UNEP/SETAC Guidelines
for Social Life Cycle Assessment of Products in 2009: 66% of all articles published on S-LCA were
published during the period 2015–2018, primarily by European authors. The findings also delineate
S-LCA as a highly fragmented research field that has been applied to diverse sectors (agriculture,
bioenergy, transport, water management, chemical products, electronics, etc.), mainly in non-European
countries. Critical questions concerning methods, framework, paradigms, and indicators remain to
be resolved. This study provides insight into the publication performance of S-LCA, characterizing
its intellectual structure and salient authors and works. In identifying hotspots in the S-LCA research,
the study provides a useful state-of-the-art reference guide for academics and reveals critical research
gaps and potential research avenues for future studies to advance in consolidating the discipline.
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Huertas-Valdivia, I.; Ferrari, A.M.; Settembre-Blundo, D.; García-Muiña, F.E. Social Life-Cycle Assessment: A Review by Bibliometric Analysis. Sustainability 2020, 12, 6211. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12156211
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