Conceptualizing the state of the art of social license to operate: A visualization-based word frequency analysis

IF 4.9 2区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Environmental Science & Policy Pub Date : 2025-07-09 DOI:10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104163

Yu Chen , Xiaoyan Luo , Min Xu , Bo Xia , Yongjian Ke , Martin Skitmore , Yong Liu

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Social license to operate (SLO) has emerged as a key concept in understanding the relationships between communities, businesses, and governments, particularly in industries with significant social and environmental impacts. This study conducts a systematic literature review to examine the status quo, trends, and gaps in research into SLO. A systematic process involving a two-phase word frequency analysis and search of research topics helps to identify core research clusters and reduced subjectivity in hotspot detection. The analysis revealed four major thematic areas: SLO measures, Factors affecting SLO, access mechanisms to SLO, and Spatio-temporal dynamic evolution. Findings highlight clear disparities in SLO knowledge production between the Global North and the Global South, with SLO-related research concentrated in developed Western countries represented by Australia, Canada, Netherlands, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Based on the above discussion, this study proposes four directions for future research, and these insights offer a roadmap for advancing the theoretical and practical understanding of SLO across diverse contexts.

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概念化社会经营许可的现状：基于可视化的词频分析

社会经营许可（SLO）已经成为理解社区、企业和政府之间关系的关键概念，特别是在具有重大社会和环境影响的行业中。本研究通过系统的文献综述，探讨了社会语言行为研究的现状、趋势和不足。两阶段词频分析和研究主题搜索的系统过程有助于识别核心研究集群，减少热点检测中的主观性。分析揭示了四个主要的主题领域：SLO措施、影响SLO的因素、SLO获取机制和时空动态演变。研究结果突出了全球北方和全球南方在SLO知识生产方面的明显差异，与SLO相关的研究集中在以澳大利亚、加拿大、荷兰、美国和英国为代表的西方发达国家。在此基础上，本研究提出了未来研究的四个方向，这些见解为在不同背景下推进对语言行为的理论和实践理解提供了路线图。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Environmental Science & Policy 环境科学-环境科学

CiteScore

10.90

自引率

8.30%

发文量

332

审稿时长

68 days

期刊介绍： Environmental Science & Policy promotes communication among government, business and industry, academia, and non-governmental organisations who are instrumental in the solution of environmental problems. It also seeks to advance interdisciplinary research of policy relevance on environmental issues such as climate change, biodiversity, environmental pollution and wastes, renewable and non-renewable natural resources, sustainability, and the interactions among these issues. The journal emphasises the linkages between these environmental issues and social and economic issues such as production, transport, consumption, growth, demographic changes, well-being, and health. However, the subject coverage will not be restricted to these issues and the introduction of new dimensions will be encouraged.