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Planning your Literature Review

While planning your review, in addition to finding and analyzing the reviews in dissertations, you might ask yourself questions such as the following:

What is my central question or issue that the literature can help define?

What is already known about the topic?

Is the scope of the literature being reviewed wide or narrow enough?

Is there a conflict or debate in the literature?

What connections can be made between the texts being reviewed?

What sort of literature should be reviewed? Historical? Theoretical? Methodological? Quantitative? Qualitative?

What criteria should be used to evaluate the literature being reviewed?

How will reviewing the literature justify the topic I plan to investigate?

From: Writing the successful thesis and dissertation: entering the conversation , by Irene L. Clark

source: Kent State University's Literature Reviews Libguide

Organizing the Review

Categorizing the Literature

When categorizing the writings in the review, the researcher might consider

• the methodology employed;
• the quality of the findings or conclusions;
• the document’s major strengths and weaknesses;
• any other pivotal information.

He/She might consider such questions as:

• what beliefs are expressed?
• Is there an ideological stance?
• What is being described? Is it comprehensive or narrow?
• Are the results generalizable?

Remember that you are relating other studies to your study. How do the studies in your lit. review relate to your thesis? How are the other studies related to each other?

From http://libguides.redlands.edu/content.php?pid=32380&sid=239161

Literature Review -Created by North Carolina State University Libraries

Watch this video for more information about writing a literature review.

• Writing a Literature Review

What is a Literature Review?

A literature review is a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the principal research about the topic being studied.

The aim of a literature review is to show "that the writer has studied existing work in the field with insight" (Haywood and Wragg, 1982). It is not enough merely to show what others in your field have discovered. You need to view the work of others with insight to review critically. An effective review analyses and synthesizes material, and it should meet the following requirements: (Caulley, 1992)

• Compare and contrast different authors' views on an issue
• Group authors who draw similar conclusions,
• Criticise aspects of methodology,
• Note areas in which authors are in disagreement,
• Highlight exemplary studies,
• Identify patterns or trends in the literature
• Highlight gaps in and omissions in previous research or questions left unanswered
• Show how your study relates to previous studies,
• Show how your study relates to the literature in general,
• Conclude by summarising what the literature says.

A literature review has a number of purposes. It enables you to:

• Set the background on what has been researched on a topic.
• Show why a topic is significant to a subject area.
• Discover relationships between ideas.
• Identify major themes & concepts.
• Identify critical gaps & points of disagreement.
• Help the researcher turn a network of articles into a coherent view of the literature.

Source: University of Melbourne's Literature Review Libguide

Literature Review Samples

• Otterbein's Institutional Repository You can browse by collection and then department and student scholarship. Look up samples of literature reviews in theses and dissertations.
• OhioLink's ETD Browse by institution and look up samples of literature review in the students' theses and dissertations
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What is a literature review?

Analysis and critical evaluation of research previously done on your topic.

Literature review helps you:

• find a gap in the research so you can contribute something original
• justify your project and set the context for your topic

You will cite articles, standards, books, etc. on your topic that helped you develop your project (ideas, processes, models, useful quotations).

Some examples of literature review in the PDF below. Go through each example and pick one that is the best out of the four.

Writing your literature review

Take notes as you read!

Use a Synthesis Matrix, local version below adapted from the Synthesis Matrix technique developed by North Carolina State University).

• Synthesis Matrix - Local Version

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Environmental Science

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Useful resources on literature or systematic reviews

What is a literature review.

• Geographical information systems
• Government and other sources of environmental information, including datasets
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• Griffith school of environment - systematic quantitative literature review Developed by the school of environment at Griffith University for environmental science students, this resource shows how to systematically search the literature using online databases; save and manage the information and quantify the current status of the literature.
• Systematic searching for environmental evidence using multiple tools and sources Environmental evidence - the official journal of the collaboration for environmental evidence, 2017, 6(23). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13750-017-0099-6
• Guidelines for systematic reviews in environmental management Collaboration for environmental evidence. 2013. Guidelines for systematic review and evidence synthesis in environmental management. Version 4.2. http://environmentalevidence.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Review-guidelinesversion-4.2-finalPRINT.pdf
• GEOS6001 qualitative research and literature reviews Slides prepared by Tiffany Morrison for GEOS6001 research philosophy, design & implementation 11/03/2014
• Literature reviews guide How to search for, store, organise, evaluate and critique information for your literature review. Includes techniques, books, articles and more to help you do your literature review.
• Systematic reviews guide

A literature review is a critical assessment of the literature pertaining to a particular topic or subject.  It is a 'systematic, explicit, and reproducible method for identifying, evaluating and synthesising the existing body of completed and recorded work produced by researchers, scholars, and practitioners'  Fink, (2005).

What's its purpose?

• justify your research
• provide context for your research
• identify new ways, to interpret and highlight gaps in previous research
• ensure that the research has not been done before
• signpost a way forward for further research
• show where the research fits into the existing literature
• highlight flaws in previous research
• UQ Student Support - writing a literature review A guide to the process of planning and writing a literature review.
• Annotated bibliography A useful guide on how to write entries for your annotated bibliography, from UQ Student Support
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Literature Review Toolkit for Environmental Sciences: Home

What is a literature review.

• Help define the focus of your research topic.
• Identify research already conducted in your field of interest, find gaps in existing scholarship, and avoid repetition of previous research.
• Become familiar with significant earlier research and with current progress and/or controversies in your field of interest.
• Assess methodologies, results, conclusions, and possible opportunities for future research.

Figure shows the iterative process of writing a literature review. Source : Monash University.

Literature Review vs. Annotated Bibliography

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What is a Literature Review?

Definition and purpose.

• Further Information

Not to be confused with a book review, a literature review surveys scholarly articles, books and other sources (e.g. dissertations, conference proceedings) relevant to a particular issue, area of research, or theory, providing a description, summary, and critical evaluation of each work. The purpose is to offer an overview of significant literature published on a topic.

Similar to primary research, development of the literature review requires four stages:

• Problem formulation —which topic or field is being examined and what are its component issues?
• Literature search —finding materials relevant to the subject being explored
• Data evaluation —determining which literature makes a significant contribution to the understanding of the topic
• Analysis and interpretation —discussing the findings and conclusions of pertinent literature

Literature reviews should comprise the following elements:

• An overview of the subject, issue or theory under consideration, along with the objectives of the literature review
• Division of works under review into categories (e.g. those in support of a particular position, those against, and those offering alternative theses entirely)
• Explanation of how each work is similar to and how it varies from the others
• Conclusions as to which pieces are best considered in their argument, are most convincing of their opinions, and make the greatest contribution to the understanding and development of their area of research

In assessing each piece, consideration should be given to:

• Provenance —What are the author's credentials? Are the author's arguments supported by evidence (e.g. primary historical material, case studies, narratives, statistics, recent scientific findings)?
• Objectivity —Is the author's perspective even-handed or prejudicial? Is contrary data considered or is certain pertinent information ignored to prove the author's point?
• Persuasiveness —Which of the author's theses are most/least convincing?
• Value —Are the author's arguments and conclusions convincing? Does the work ultimately contribute in any significant way to an understanding of the subject?

A literature review may constitute an essential chapter of a thesis or dissertation, or may be a self-contained review of writings on a subject. In either case, its purpose is to:

• Place each work in the context of its contribution to the understanding of the subject under review
• Describe the relationship of each work to the others under consideration
• Identify new ways to interpret, and shed light on any gaps in, previous research
• Resolve conflicts amongst seemingly contradictory previous studies
• Identify areas of prior scholarship to prevent duplication of effort
• Point the way forward for further research
• Place one's original work (in the case of theses or dissertations) in the context of existing literature

The literature review itself, however, does not present new primary scholarship.

An example of a literature review is:

Allen, R.C. (1996). Socioeconomic Conditions and Property Crime: A Comprehensive Review and Test of the Professional Literature. The American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 55 (3), 293.

Tips for finding literature reviews in your field:

• ask your professor or advisor for recommendations for good examples of literature reviews in your discipline. You can also check out the literature review sections of peer review journal articles, theses, or dissertations.
• Search ProQuest Dissertations and Theses for dissertations and these to look at their literature review and also to look at their bibliography.
• certain discipline specific databases like PsycINFO have ways to limit your search to just review or systematic review articles. 

Further information on the literature review may be found in:

Adapted from " How to Write a Literature Review ", courtesy of the UC-Santa Cruz Library, retrieved 30th October 2008 from the Web.

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" Literature reviews survey research on a particular area or topic in [a field of study]. Their main purpose is to knit together theories and results from multiple studies to give an overview of a field of research ."

Published literature reviews are called review articles, however, research articles contain brief literature reviews at the beginning to give context to the study within that article. A literature review's purpose is two-fold: to describe and compare studies in an area of research and to evaluate those studies. You will need both in a well-done literature review understanding that the ability to understand and compare the current research is necessary before you can evaluate it.

At the heart of any thorough literature review lies the engagement with diverse source materials. Beyond simply absorbing the content, meticulous and organized note-taking emerges as a critical skill, enabling the synthesis of key insights, the formulation of probing questions, the evaluation of each source's merit, and the ability to create correct citations to avoid plagiarism. Executed effectively, this note-taking practice becomes the cornerstone of a streamlined and efficient research process.

By mastering this note-taking technique, you can significantly streamline the research process, fostering a clear and well-organized framework for your literature review.

The Literature Review matrix is a great resource. You can download the PDF or use the Excel spreadsheet to capture all of the necessary information and organize your notes (and thinking).

[Literature Review Matrix created by: McLean, Lindsey. "Literature Review." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2015. https://www.projectcora.org/assignment/literature-review.]

• Literature Review Matrix Excel
• Literature Review Matrix PDF

Literature : a collection of materials on your topic.  (does not mean “literature” in the sense of “language and literature”  (To Kill a Mockingbird, Jane Eyre, etc.)    —means understanding the difference between primary, secondary and tertiary literature  Primary—peer reviewed, scholarly, original, review articles—secondary

Review : to look again at what has been written. (does not mean giving your personal opinion or whether or not you liked the sources.) 

Research : to search again.  

The narrower the topic the easier it will be to limit the number of sources you need to read.

 A Literature Review is a select list of available resources covering the topic in question accompanied by a short description AND a critical comparative evaluation/analysis of the works included  http://www.library.arizona.edu/help/tutorials/litreviews/whatis.html  

• an integral part of the scientific process
• reveals whether or not a research question has been answered by someone else

Major points to consider

• Thematic -- defined by a guiding question or concept
• Descriptive
• Directly relevant
• Highly selective, narrowly focused
• May include all scholarly formats including government documents; book reviews; films; selected websites; scholarly open source journals
• Usually includes a thesis statement/narrowly focused research question, summary and/or synthesis of the ideas encountered. (synthesis=reorganization of information of what is known, what is yet to be discovered  

*Expect that your work will be traced by readers.

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Literature reviews.

"A literature review discusses published information in a particular subject area, and sometimes information in a particular subject area within a certain time period.

A literature review can be just a simple summary of the sources, but it usually has an organizational pattern and combines both summary and synthesis. A summary is a recap of the important information of the source, but a synthesis is a re-organization, or a reshuffling, of that information. It might give a new interpretation of old material or combine new with old interpretations. Or it might trace the intellectual progression of the field, including major debates. And depending on the situation, the literature review may evaluate the sources and advise the reader on the most pertinent or relevant." Source:  http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/literature-reviews/ This link opens in a new window

The library has several books and ebooks in our collection which can help answer your questions about writing literature reviews. To find books and ebooks on writing a literature review, please search the  Multi-Search  or the  Online Library Catalog .

Further Help

This information is intended to be a guideline, not expert advice. Please be sure to speak to your professor about the appropriate way to write a literature review in your class assignments and projects.

Campus Students

To access academic support, visit your Brightspace course and select “Tutoring and Mentoring” from the Academic Support pulldown menu.

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To access help with citation and more, visit Academic Support via modules in Brightspace:

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What is a Literature Review

A literature review is a survey of everything that has been written about a particular topic, theory, or research question. It may provide the background for larger work, or it may stand on its own. Much more than a simple list of sources, an effective literature review analyzes and synthesizes information about key themes or issues.

Why write a literature review?

• To discover what has been written about a topic already.
• To determine what each source contributes to the topic.
• To understand the relationship between the various contributions, identify and (if possible) resolve contradictions, and determine gaps or unanswered questions.
• Printer Friendly: Writing a Literature Review
• Tips for Writing a Literature Review

What's Involved?

Research  to discover what has been written about the topic.

Critical Appraisal  to evaluate the literature, determine the relationship between the sources and ascertain what has been done already and what still needs to be done.

Writing  to explain what you have found.

Focus on Writing

Introduction

The introduction should identify your topic, some discussion of the significance of that topic and a thesis statement that outlines what conclusion you will draw from your analysis and synthesis of the literature. If your literature review is part of a larger work, explain the importance of the review to your research question.

In the body, discuss and assess the research according to specific organizational principles (see examples below), rather than addressing each source separately. Most, if not all, paragraphs should discuss more than one source. Avoid addressing your sources alphabetically as this does not assist in developing the themes or key issues central to your review.

The conclusion should provide a summary of YOUR findings from the literature review. Explain what your analysis of the material leads you to conclude about the overall state of the literature, what it provides and where it is lacking. You can also provide suggestions for future research or explain how your future research will fill the gaps in the existing body of work on that topic.

© Allyson Skene. The Writing Centre, University of Toronto at Scarborough. See terms and conditions for use at http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/~ctl/twc/terms.htm

Research & Evaluate

Gather sources

• Focus your topic : A literature review aims to cover all of the research on a given topic. If the topic is too large, there will be too much material.
• Read with a purpose : Although you will need to briefly summarize sources, a good literature review requires that you isolate key themes or issues related to your own research interests.

Evaluate sources

For each source, consider: 

• Credentials : Is the author an expert? 
• Argument/Evidence : Does the evidence support the conclusion? Is the argument or evidence complete?

When comparing sources, consider: 

• Conclusions : Does all research arrive at the same conclusion or are there differing opinions? What evidence or reasoning are the differences based on? 
• Gaps or omissions : What questions are raised by the literature?

Ways to Organize your Literature Review

Organize by Theme

Use it when explaining key themes or issues relevant to the topic. This is the most common way to organize literature reviews.

A literature review of 31 relevant articles published between January 1999 and March 2004 identified 12 categories of neighborhood characteristics relevant to maternal and child health: income/wealth, employment, family structure, population composition, housing, mobility, education, occupation, social resources, violence and crime, deviant behavior and physical conditions.

[Example adapted from Rajaratnama, J.K., Burke, J.G. & O’Campo, P. (2006). Maternal and child health and neighborhood context: The selection and construction of area-level variables.  Health and Place, 12 , 547-556.]

Organize by Methodology  (also called a methodology review)

When discussing interdisciplinary approaches to a topic or when discussing a number of studies with a different approach.

In dentistry, fluorescent imaging been used for many applications revealing a variety of information about bonded restorations. This review evaluates the different methods used in this area with the intent of determining if standardized methodologies exist.

[Example   adapted   from   D’ Alpino,   P .H.P.   et   al   (2006).Use   of   fluorescent   compounds in assessing bonded resin-based restorations: A literature review  Journal of Dentistry ,  34  623-634.]

Organize by Chronology

When historical changes are central to explaining the topic.

A literature review is presented on the evolution of water pollution management and its impact on land pollution from 1900 to 2000 within a hypothesis of whether we could have done more, sooner. Stream pollution science in the context of the fundamental sanitary engineering concepts of reasonable use and assimilative capacity is examined in light of evolving regulatory frameworks from the early 1900s, when regulation and standards were mostly lacking, to the zero discharge goals and comprehensive federal command/control regulations of the late 20 th  century.

[Example adapted from Shrifin, N.S. (2005). Pollution Management in the Twentieth Century.  Journal of Environmental Engineering, 131 , 676-691.]

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What is a Literature Review?

A Literature Review Is Not:

• just a summary of sources
• a grouping of broad, unrelated sources
• a compilation of everything that has been written on a particular topic
• literature criticism (think English) or a book review

So, what is it then?

A literature review is an integrated analysis-- not just a summary-- of scholarly writings that are related directly to your research question.  That is, it represents the literature that provides background information on your topic and shows a correspondence between those writings and your research question.

A literature review may be a stand alone work or the introduction to a larger research paper, depending on the assignment.  Rely heavily on the guidelines your instructor has given you.

Why is it important?

A literature review is important because it:

• Explains the background of research on a topic.
• Demonstrates why a topic is significant to a subject area.
• Discovers relationships between research studies/ideas.
• Identifies major themes, concepts, and researchers on a topic.
• Identifies critical gaps and points of disagreement.
• Discusses further research questions that logically come out of the previous studies.

Literature Review Tutorial

1. choose a topic. define your research question..

Your literature review should be guided by a central research question.  Remember, it is not a collection of loosely related studies in a field but instead represents background and research developments related to a specific research question, interpreted and analyzed by you in a synthesized way.

• Make sure your research question is not too broad or too narrow.  Is it manageable?
• Begin writing down terms that are related to your question. These will be useful for searches later.
• If you have the opportunity, discuss your topic with your professor.

2. Decide on the scope of your review.

How many studies do you need to look at? How comprehensive should it be? How many years should it cover? 

Tip: This may depend on your assignment.  How many sources does the assignment require?

3. Select the databases you will use to conduct your searches.

Make a list of the databases you will search.  Remember to include comprehensive databases such as WorldCat and Dissertations & Theses, if you need to.

Where to find databases:

• Find Databases by Subject UWF Databases categorized by discipline
• Find Databases via Research Guides Librarians create research guides for all of the disciplines on campus! Take advantage of their expertise and see what discipline-specific search strategies they recommend!

4. Conduct your searches and find the literature. Keep track of your searches!

• Review the abstracts of research studies carefully. This will save you time.
• Write down the searches you conduct in each database so that you may duplicate them if you need to later (or avoid dead-end searches   that you'd forgotten you'd already tried).
• Use the bibliographies and references of research studies you find to locate others.
• Ask your professor or a scholar in the field if you are missing any key works in the field.
• Use RefWorks to keep track of your research citations. See the RefWorks Tutorial if you need help.

5. Review the literature.

Some questions to help you analyze the research:

• What was the research question of the study you are reviewing? What were the authors trying to discover?
• Was the research funded by a source that could influence the findings?
• What were the research methodologies? Analyze its literature review, the samples and variables used, the results, and the conclusions. Does the research seem to be complete? Could it have been conducted more soundly? What further questions does it raise?
• If there are conflicting studies, why do you think that is?
• How are the authors viewed in the field? Has this study been cited?; if so, how has it been analyzed?

Tips: 

• Again, review the abstracts carefully.  
• Keep careful notes so that you may track your thought processes during the research process.

Theme Based Organization

The most common way that literature reviews are organized it by theme. Think of "themes" are the different subheadings you will use. Within each subheadhing, you should clarify how that section relates to other articles within the other sections of your paper.

Your lit review is theme based, not author based. This template shows examples of the different ways that articles can contribute to a discussion of each theme. It is your job to draw conclusions from the relationships between the articles

Imagine that each theme is a bucket and each source fits into one bucket. The same source may fit into multiple themes and buckets.

Images from: Cisco, J. (2014). Teaching the literature review: A practical approach for college instruction. Teaching & Learning Inquiry, 2 (2), 41-57.

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A systematic literature review of environmental concerns in smart-cities

I K Raharjana 1

Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science , Volume 245 , The International Conference Research Collaboration of Environmental Science 12 March 2018, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia Citation I K Raharjana 2019 IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci. 245 012031 DOI 10.1088/1755-1315/245/1/012031

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1 Information Systems, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Airlangga, Kampus C UNAIR Mulyorejo, Surabaya, Indonesia

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The concept of smart-city is to use information and communication technology to efficiently manage assets and resources in order to support sustainable urban environment. Examples of smart-city implementation are the use of ICTs in government systems, energy management, buildings, infrastructure, health services, population, and others. The purpose of this study is to identify and analyze existing study of environmental concerns in smart-cities. Search terms with relevant keywords were used to identify appropriate studies. Filtering and scoring techniques were used to obtain relevant studies. 345 papers were obtained from abstract search results, 248 were successfully downloaded. 14 manuscripts pass abstract filtering and quality assessment, it included into analysis phases. Environmental concern is an integral part of smart city management. Some smart-city frameworks have identified environmental factors that must be considered. The majority of studies focus on areas of resource, governance, and urban infrastructure. In general, the application of smart-cities that focus on resource and urban infrastructure will have a positive impact on the environment. This can be maximized by smart-cities governance that supports environmental policy.

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Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence . Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.

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• Published: 03 May 2024

Early childhood caries, climate change and the sustainable development goal 13: a scoping review

• Morẹ́nikẹ́ Oluwátóyìn Foláyan 1 , 2 ,
• Robert J Schroth 1 , 3 ,
• Olunike Abodunrin 4 ,
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• Arheiam Arheiam 1 , 7 ,
• Tshepiso Mfolo 1 , 8 ,
• Jorma I. Virtanen 1 , 9 ,
• Duangporn Duangthip 1 , 10 ,
• Carlos A Feldens 1 , 11 &
• Maha El Tantawi 1 , 12  

BMC Oral Health volume  24 , Article number:  524 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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Sustainable development goal 13 centres on calls for urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. The aim of this scoping review was to map the published literature for existing evidence on the association between the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 and early childhood caries (ECC).

The scoping review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. In August 2023, a search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus using search terms related to SDG13 and ECC. Only English language publications were extracted. There was no restriction on the type of publications included in the study. A summary of studies that met the inclusion criteria was conducted highlighting the countries where the studies were conducted, the study designs employed, the journals (dental/non-dental) in which the studies were published, and the findings. In addition, the SDG13 indicators to which the study findings were linked was reported.

The initial search yielded 113 potential publications. After removing 57 duplicated papers, 56 publications underwent title and abstract screening, and two studies went through full paper review. Four additional papers were identified from websites and searching the references of the included studies. Two of the six retrieved articles were from India, and one was China, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom respectively. One paper was based on an intervention simulation study, two reported findings from archeologic populations and three papers that were commentaries/opinions. In addition, four studies were linked to SDG 13.1 and they suggested an increased risk for caries with climate change. Two studies were linked to SDG 13.2 and they suggested that the practice of pediatric dentistry contributes negatively to environmental degradation. One study provided evidence on caries prevention management strategies in children that can reduce environmental degradation.

The evidence on the links between SDG13 and ECC suggests that climate change may increase the risk for caries, and the management of ECC may increase environmental degradation. However, there are caries prevention strategies that can reduce the negative impact of ECC management on the environment. Context specific and inter-disciplinary research is needed to generate evidence for mitigating the negative bidirectional relationships between SDG13 and ECC.

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Introduction

Worldwide, the mean temperatures have climbed by approximately 1 °C (1.7 °F) since 1880, with projections indicating a potential warming of around 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 °F) by 2050 and a more substantial increase of 2–4 degrees Celsius (3.6–7.2 degrees Fahrenheit) by 2100 [ 1 ]. This alteration holds significance due to the immense heat energy required to elevate the earth’s average annual surface temperature, even by a slight margin, considering the vast extent and heat-retaining capacity of oceans. The approximately 2-degree Fahrenheit (1-degree Celsius) upswing in the global average surface temperature since the pre-industrial period (1880–1900) might appear modest, yet it equates to a substantial accumulation of heat [ 2 ].

Climate change is a huge concern for health, and its impact is felt globally. According to the World Meteorological Organization, greenhouse gas emissions are more than 50% higher now than in 1990 [ 3 ], and the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that global warming is causing long-lasting changes to the climate system that threatens irreversible consequences [ 4 ]. About 91% of geo-physical disasters are climate-related and they have tremendous human impact. Between 1998 and 2017, there were about 1.3 million deaths and 4.4 billion injuries due to the consequences of climate change [ 5 ].

The suggested health effects of climate change include changes in the prevalence and geographical distribution of respiratory diseases [ 6 , 7 ]. Respiratory diseases such as asthma and its medicines increase the risk of caries [ 8 , 9 , 10 ]. The increase in greenhouse gas emissions and global warming are associated with an increase in geophysical disasters [ 11 ]. These disasters result in humanitarian crises [ 12 ] which likely increase the burden of dental disease, including early childhood caries (ECC) [ 13 ]. The emitted gases that deplete the ozone layer include methane and nitrous oxide emissions [ 14 ]. Methane is suggested to have an inverse association, and nitrous oxide has a direct association with global ECC prevalence [ 15 ].

Climate change is also associated with food insecurity, which is linked to caries [ 16 , 17 ]. The risk of ECC may also increase with economic development, industrialization, and urbanization [ 18 , 19 ], a phenomenon associated with increased gas emission and ozone depletion [ 20 ]. On the other hand, climate change also leads to arid conditions and high alkalinity in the ground waters, which promote fluoride release from clay and fluorite-bearing minerals [ 21 , 22 ]. High temperatures promote longer residence times of ground waters, thereby leading to high fluoride contents of the water from water-rock interactions [ 21 , 22 ]. Although fluorides in water are beneficial for dental health leading to reduced risk of ECC, excessive exposure to fluoride can result in severe fluorosis [ 23 ] which increases the risk of caries [ 24 , 25 ].

The plausible link between climate change and ECC makes the Sustainable Development Goal 13 (SDG13) a subject of interest for pediatric dental care. The SDG 13 is focused on preventing and or tackling problems posed by climate change. It acknowledges that climate change is causing a rise in the occurrence and severity of extreme weather events, including floods, heatwaves, droughts, and tropical cyclones. These, in turn, heighten health risks due to damage to vital infrastructure, disruption of essential services like water and sanitation, education, energy, health, and transportation, exacerbation of water management challenges, and a decrease in agricultural output and food security [ 26 , 27 , 28 ]. These micro-, meso- and macro-level effects of climate change may increase the risk of ECC as it may cause disruption in access to preventive and curative care, limited access to health promotion, prevention information and education and increase the impact of food insecurity on ECC [ 29 , 30 ].

A positive impact on ECC control may be linked with efforts at strengthening the resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters (SDG13.1); improving education, awareness and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning (SDG 13.2); and integrating climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning (SDG 13.3) [ 26 ]. . Furthermore, incorporating the commitment made by developed-country parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, aimed at addressing the requirements of developing nations (13.A); and promoting mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management with focus on marginalized communities among others (SDG 13.B) [ 24 ], could also influence ECC control. This is because the prevalence of ECC is higher in developing countries [ 31 ] and among marginalized communities [ 32 ]. The conceptual framework for the association between climate change and ECC is presented in Fig.  1 .

Conceptual framework for the relationship between climate change and ECC. Target 13.1 | Strengthen Resilience and Adaptive Capacity to Climate Related Disasters. Target 13.2 | Integrate Climate Change Measures into Policies and Planning. Target 13.3 | Build Knowledge and Capacity to Meet Climate Change.Target 13.A | Implement the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Target 13.B | Promote Mechanisms to Raise Capacity for Climate Planning and Management

The aim of this scoping review was to identify the existing evidence on the association between climate change and climate change-related factors (disasters, sustainable management of natural resource, and human security) with ECC.

We conducted a systematic search to identify scientific literature on the association between climate change and ECC. Our scoping review was conducted according to the JBI guidelines for scoping review [ 33 ] and reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines (PRISMA-ScR) [ 34 ].

Research questions

The following questions guided this review: (i) What is the existing evidence on the association between climate change and ECC? and (ii) What are the factors related to climate change (disasters, sustainable management of natural resource, human security) associated with ECC?”

Articles identification

The initial search was conducted on three electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus) in August 2023. The search was performed using the key terms as shown in Appendix 1. Publications from the inception of each database to August 2023 were screened. No protocol was published for this review. Additional search was conducted by reviewing the references of eligible publications and by searching the semantics scholar website.

Selection of articles

Article inclusion was performed in four phases. The first phase was conducted by one reviewer (MET) who conducted the search in the three databases for the information. In the second phase, two reviewers (OA, MOF) screened the titles and abstracts of all identified manuscripts and removed the duplicates. In phase three, two reviewers (OA, MOF) reviewed the full text of the manuscripts independently and compared results to achieve consensus. In addition, and reference lists of potentially relevant publications were manually searched. Lastly, the information generated was shared with two experts for their review (MET and RJS).

Eligibility criteria

Articles were included if they focused on children younger than 6 year of age or if they did not specifically exclude this age group. In addition, studies that identified ECC as dependent or independent factors in relation to climate change or climate change related factors were included. No study design was excluded based on study design. There was no language restriction for the search conducted in the three databases. Language restrictions were introduced at the phase of review of the full texts. Articles not published in English were excluded. We also excluded studies that focused on the prevalence of ECC or on climate change exclusively.

Data charting

Specific information from the included publications was extracted. This includes information on the first author’s name, year of publication, study location, World Health Organization’s region where the study was conducted (African (AFR), Eastern Mediterranean (EMR), European (EUR), Region of the Americas (AMR), South-East Asian (SEAR), and Western Pacific (WPR)) [ 35 ], study design, study objectives, main findings and conclusion on the association between SDG13 and ECC, and whether the article was published in dental or non-dental journal. Information from each publication was compiled and summarized in Table  1 . The summarized data were then shared with two experts (RJS and AA) for their review. Publications were included only when there was a consensus between the experts and the earlier three reviewers. The final consensus document was also shared with members of the Early Childhood Caries Advocacy Group ( www.eccag.org ) to identify any other relevant publication that might not have been retrieved by the original search strategy.

Data analysis

We performed a descriptive analysis of the extracted items. These descriptions encompassed the World Health Organization’s region and countries where the studies were conducted, the study designs employed, the journals (whether dental or non-dental) in which the studies were published, and the findings. Interpretive inductive analyses of the objectives and conclusions of the studies were also conducted. In addition, an analysis was conducted linking the study findings with an SDG13 indicator.

Role of the funding source

The study was funded out-of-pocket. This had no role in the study design, data collection, analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Figure  2 shows the process undertaken to identify relevant literature. The initial search of the three databases yielded 113 potential publications. Fifty-seven duplicated papers were removed, leaving 56 papers that underwent title and abstract screening. Of these, 54 papers were excluded leaving only two papers for study inclusion [ 36 , 37 ]. In addition, two publications were identified from search in the semantic scholar website and another two identified by searching the references of one of the studies that met the eligibility criteria [ 36 ]. These additional four papers provided data on potential connections between climate change and caries [ 16 , 38 , 39 , 40 ]. One of the six papers assessed the impact of management of ECC on climate change and ECC [ 37 ]. Table  1 presents further details regarding the six included publications.

Flow diagram based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 flowchart template of the search and selected process

Overview of studies

Two of the six retrieved articles were from India (SEAR) [ 36 , 38 ], one was from China (the SEAR) [ 37 ], the US (AMR) [ 16 ], the UK (EUR) [ 39 ] and Japan (WRP) [ 40 ], respectively. The three papers from 2021 to 2023 were published in dental journals [ 16 , 36 , 39 ] while the three older papers were published between 2007 and 2019 in non-dental journals [ 37 , 38 , 40 ]. One paper was an intervention simulation study [ 39 ], two reported findings from archeologic populations [ 37 , 40 ] and three papers that were commentaries/opinions [ 16 , 36 , 38 ].

The study objectives covered a range of topics from highlighting the need for environmentally-friendly solutions within dental practices to mitigate the ecological footprint of dental procedures [ 36 ], to the exploration of how environmental factors like climate may have influenced dental health in ancient populations [ 37 , 40 ], and broader discussions on considerations and adaptation strategies to address the evolving environmental challenges of oral health management and outcomes in the context of global climate disruption [ 16 , 39 ].

The study conclusions highlighted the interconnectedness between climate change, environmental sustainability, subsistence patterns, and oral health outcomes. It highlighted that the use of environmentally harmful dental materials contributes to environmental degradation and climate change [ 36 ]; climate change-induced shifts in subsistence economy, heat and oxidative stress, air quality that can significantly impact oral health outcomes [ 37 ] including increasing the risk for caries [ 16 , 38 , 39 ]. Alternative materials should be explored to mitigate these detrimental effects [ 36 ], and strategic approaches can be adopted to manage the impact of dental caries preventive on the climate [ 39 ].

In addition, the studies were linked to two targets of SDG13: specifically, SDG 13.1, which emphasizes enhancing resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters globally [ 16 , 37 , 38 , 40 ]; and SDG 13.2, which focuses on integrating climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning [ 36 , 39 ]. The four studies linking caries to SDG 13.1 suggests that adaptive measures to climate changes may increase the risk of caries. The two studies linking caries to SDG 13.2 indicate that pediatric dental practices have a negative impact on environmental degradation, consequently contributing adversely to climate change. However, one of the two studies proposes that specific actions can be taken to mitigate the environmental impact of caries prevention practices in children [ 39 ].

This scoping review identified articles that discussed how the discipline of pediatric dentistry’s carbon footprint can contribute to climate change. The studies identified a bi-directional relationship between caries and climate change. First, that adaptive processes for climate change can increase the prevalence of caries. Second, that the management of caries contributes to environmental degradation. Third, that purposeful strategic approaches to caries prevention in children can reduce the detrimental impact of caries management on the environment. These findings support our study hypothesis on the possible links between ECC and climate change.

However, the evidence supporting the study hypothesis are limited to commentaries, suggested archeological evidence and simulation studies. Studies on the impact of climate change are only starting to evolve. Methodological challenges may have limited the investigations into the link between climate change and ECC. Martens and McMichael identified a range of methodologies that could be used for studying the impact of climate change on health [42]. These methodologies are applicable for the study of the impact of climate change on oral health such as the evaluation of the impact of climate changes on shifts in the range and densities of caries predisposing organisms in the oral cavity, and children’s vulnerability to ECC. The current study identified an investigation that used implementation science approach to demonstrate how caries preventive practices in children can reduced the negative impact of dental practice on the environment [ 37 ]. It is therefore feasible to not only conduct studies to provide evidence on the link between ECC and climate change, but to demonstrate how the management of ECC can reduce environmental degradation. More studies are needed to identify context specific management strategies for ECC management that can be brought to scale.

One of the studies suggests a link between heat related climate changes and ECC [ 37 ]. We postulate that this link may result from the warming phenomenon that triggers an increase in water consumption. Existing evidence suggests that variations in water consumption levels between the coldest and warmest periods can fluctuate from 20% to as high as 60% [ 41 ]. Additionally, the intake of fluids per unit of body weight is most pronounced among infants and diminishes with advancing age [ 42 ]. Consequently, there may be a probable cumulative rise in children’s fluoride consumption due to global warming. This stems from multiple sources, including fluoride present in drinking water, fluoride-containing toothpaste, fluoride supplements, infant formula, beverages made with fluoridated water, cow’s milk from animals raised in fluoride-containing environments [ 43 , 44 ], and crops cultivated in soil with elevated fluoride content due to interactions with water and rocks [ 17 , 20 ]. The permissible threshold for fluoride intake is influenced by climatic conditions [ 45 ], with severely elevated fluoride intake, severe fluorosis, and a potential elevated risk of dental caries [ 22 , 23 , 46 ]. Geothermal temperature has been viewed as one cause for high fluoride levels recorded in groundwater (from deep aquifers and geothermal springs) [ 47 ]. On the other hand, Beltrán-Aguilar et al. demonstrated no association between outdoor temperature and the total water consumption of children aged 1 to 10 in the United States. This observation remained consistent even after accounting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, or poverty status [ 48 ]. . We, however, found no study addressing the link between outdoor temperature, consumption of water including fluoridated water and the prevalence of ECC. Future studies are needed to identify the pathophysiological pathways between climate change and ECC risks if there is truly a link.

It is also possible that the oxidative stress associated with climate change, arising from a disparity in the generation of pro-oxidant elements and the presence of antioxidant defenses [ 49 ] may be associated with enamel hypoplasia as highlighted by Temple [ 40 ]. Enamel hypoplasia may result from SOD1-mediated ROS accumulation disruption of normal enamel structure through alternative cervical loop cell proliferation and downregulation of RhoA and ROCK in ameloblasts [ 50 ]. Enamel hypoplasia is associated with an increased in the risk for ECC [ 51 , 52 ].

There are, however, other possible pathophysiological pathways for the increased risk of ECC due to climate change not highlighted in the publications mapped in this scoping review. One plausibility may be linked to global warming that has the potential to induce pronounced aridification [ 53 ]. A temperature increases of 2 degrees Celsius would precipitate further arid conditions in 15% of semi-arid climates, potentially impacting over 25% of the globe [ 54 ]. This intensified aridification historically led to the desiccation of crops and increased dependence on marine resources for sustenance, akin to occurrences around 2000 B.C [ 55 ]. . This shift towards marine food sources is likely to encourage diets lacking in essential nutrients, potentially resulting in an increased rate of new bone formation on the outer surface of bones (periosteal new bone formation) [ 55 ]. However, there is a suggestion that carious lesions, premature tooth loss, and dental enamel hypoplasia might not necessarily experience an upswing due to aridification [ 55 ]. Studies on the pathways to link ECC and climate change are therefore, critically needed, to be able to take collective global actions to mitigate the negative oral health impact climate change may have on children.

Another pathophysiological pathway that may link climate change with an increase in the risk for ECC is the impact of rapid climate shifts on soil composition, solubility, and plant absorption [ 56 ]. These alterations could lead to a notable shift in the concentration of certain trace elements within plants, attributed to heightened translocation, improved photosynthetic capacity, and enhanced growth. Conversely, the warming process might result in reduced trace element concentrations in tubers, indicating that the tuber growth rate surpasses its ability to take in metals at elevated temperatures [ 57 ]. The presence of trace elements in plants contributes to the development of enamel and dentin [ 58 ], although the precise mechanisms governing the integration of trace elements into soils and, subsequently into human teeth require further elucidation [ 59 ]. The plausibleness of these interactions requires further investigations as the current study highlights that the objectives of the accessible studies on ECC and climate change are limited in the scope of their explorations.

In addition, the necessity for studies tailored to specific contexts highlights the limited regional coverage in current research examining the connections between ECC and climate change. Notably, our investigation revealed very few studies on this sub a lack of studies conducted in the AFR and EMR regions. Despite expectations that climate changes will alter rainfall patterns, impacting agriculture and diminishing food security while exacerbating water security issues in Africa [ 60 ], there is a notable absence of corresponding studies. Similarly, anticipated climate changes in the EMR region are expected to result in under-nutrition, respiratory illnesses, mental health issues, allergic reactions, and pulmonary diseases due to dust storms [ 61 ]. Despite being the two-worst impacted region in terms of health consequences resulting from climate change [ 62 ], these regions are currently underrepresented in evidence generation regarding the impact of climate change on health, including oral health. Consequently, significant gaps exist in our awareness and understanding of these links, potentially limiting mitigation and adaptation efforts [ 61 ]. It is, therefore, important to strengthen efforts to generate evidence from all regions with particular attention paid to AFR and EMR.

The suggested pathophysiological pathways for linking ECC and climate change clearing indicates the interconnectedness between climate change, environmental sustainability, subsistence patterns, and oral health outcomes. There is, therefore, the need for interdisciplinary and collaborative studies. One method that can be used to study the link between ECC and climate change is the integrated eco-epidemiologic models to identify the impact of climate change or stratospheric ozone depletion on the profile of organisms that cause caries; the thermal-related impact of climate change on the fluoride content of ground waters and its impact on caries risks; or the impact of ozone depletion on tooth structure and caries risk. These forms of study may present major scientific challenges in conceptualizing and technical difficulty with assessing the oral health impacts of these changes [42]. Eco-epidemiologic models will require a lot more anticipatory thinking and mathematical modelling of potential future impacts, which will be useful for policymakers [ 63 ].

Other study methods include the use of epidemiological surveillance techniques, assessment of the oral health impact of climate change using ecological frameworks, monitoring of the direct oral health impact of seasonal variations, natural disasters, marine ecosystems and ecosystems health, food production and food security, and emerging and resurgent infectious diseases [ 63 ]. Other methods include the use of retrospective study, integrated assessment modelling on oral health, and landscape epidemiology of caries profiles using remote censoring, Geographic Information system and spatial statistics [ 63 ]. The study methodologies, however, need to promote interdisciplinary research adapted for the modelling of complex processes and handling of attendant uncertainties [ 64 ].

The results confirmed the hypothesis regarding the connection between ECC and climate change, and mapping exercise highlighted areas where existing evidence has focused and identified new areas for further research. This is crucial not only for establishing links between ECC and all SDG13 indicators but, more importantly, for identifying ways to mitigate the negative bidirectional relationships between ECC and SDG13. Of interest are the archaeological studies identified in this study [ 37 , 40 ]. These archaeological studies provide valuable insights into the historical and cultural determinants of caries, offering a unique perspective on the complex interplay between environmental, dietary, and sociocultural factors. By incorporating archaeological evidence into research and policy, stakeholders can advance efforts to address ECC and promote oral health within the framework of Sustainable Development Goal 13. Climate change is a major public health concern, and stakeholders need to proactively engage in mitigating the risk of poor oral health associated with poor climate controls using evidence that can be generated through multiple research strategies.

This scoping review, however, has a few limitations. First, our search was restricted to English literature only, potentially resulting in the omission of studies on the correlation between ECC and climate change published in other languages. This language restriction was solely applied during the article selection process for full-text review, ensuring transparency regarding the number of eligible reports available in languages other than English [ 65 ]. The decision to limit our search to English literature was made due to the inability to read and interpret literature written in other languages. Second, our search was limited to three data bases which may have led to the omission of relevant articles not captured by the search strategy, potentially introducing selection bias. The scope of the study is also limited to children under 6 years limiting the generalizability of findings to other age groups. Despite the limitations the study highlights plausible links between ECC and climate change that can be explored empirically in future studies.

In conclusion though there is the plausibility of climate change having an impact on the health of the dentition and the risk for caries. Studies are needed to generate empirical evidence of the impact of climate change on caries risk in children. This will help with the formulation of policies and the design of programs that can help policymakers and decision-makers proactively prevent the increase in the prevalence of ECC as we move into the future. Addressing these complex relationships is essential for developing holistic strategies to promote both environmental sustainability and oral health.

Data availability

No datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.

Abbreviations

Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature

ScR-Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines

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Morẹ́nikẹ́ Oluwátóyìn Foláyan, Robert J Schroth, Ola B. Al-Batayneh, Arheiam Arheiam, Tshepiso Mfolo, Jorma I. Virtanen, Duangporn Duangthip, Carlos A Feldens & Maha El Tantawi

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M.O.F conceived the study. The Project was managed by M.O.F., Data curating was done by O.A., M.ET. and M.O.F. Data analysis was conducted by M.O.F., O.A. and M.ET. M.O.F. developed the first draft of the document. D.D. drew the figure of the conceptual framework. O.A., A.A., T.M., O.B.A-B., R.J.S., D.D. J.I.V., C.A.F., and M.E.T. read the draft manuscript and made inputs prior to the final draft. All authors approved the final manuscript for submission.

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Foláyan, M.O., Schroth, R.J., Abodunrin, O. et al. Early childhood caries, climate change and the sustainable development goal 13: a scoping review. BMC Oral Health 24 , 524 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-024-04237-2

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Testing the impact of environmental taxation and IFRS adoption on consumption‐based carbon in European countries

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• Ahmed Samour 1 ,
• Mohammed Musah 2 ,
• Sagiru Mati 3 , 4 &
• Fethi Amri 5  

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Several governance regulations have been adopted in European countries to promote environmental sustainability, such as environmental taxation and environmental disclosures in financial reports. In this context, this paper examines the linkage between environmental taxation, International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), and environmental sustainability in European countries from 1994 to 2018. Unlike earlier empirical studies, the present work is the first to assess the impact of environmental taxation and IFRS adoption on consumption-based carbon emissions. In order to yield valid and reliable outcomes, the modern econometric method that is vigorous to cross-sectional dependence and slope heterogeneity was employed. Likewise, the study uses the novel method of moment quantile regressions (MMQR). The MMQR outcomes illustrated that environmental taxation significantly negatively affects consumption-based emissions in European countries, indicating that environmental taxation has a positive effect on the ecological sustainability. Besides, the findings show that IFRS negatively affects consumption-based emissions, while economic growth positively affects the level of consumption-based emissions. Therefore, European governments must use fiscal and financial policies to mitigate ecological pollution. Moreover, more environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosure in European industries could also help promote environmental sustainability in European countries.

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Department of Accounting, Dhofar University, Salalah, Sultanate of Oman

Ahmed Samour

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Mohammed Musah

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Sagiru Mati

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AS and MM: conceptualization, methodology, formal analysis, writing original draft; SM, FA: data curation, writing original draft, writing—review and editing, investigation.

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Samour, A., Musah, M., Mati, S. et al. Testing the impact of environmental taxation and IFRS adoption on consumption‐based carbon in European countries. Environ Sci Pollut Res (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-33481-w

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Received : 09 January 2024

Accepted : 23 April 2024

Published : 07 May 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-33481-w

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