When the literature is examined, it is clearly seen that there are differences in the use of the concept of impact assessment. Impact assessment is used in different contexts depending on both the process and the outcome of the assessment. Scope of the impact assessment concept a holistic structure is meant by planning, implementing and revealing all the processes that will enable the planned impact to be revealed.

The terms impact analysis and impact assessment are often used interchangeably. Analysis is the decomposition of the components of a situation or structure. If you look at the Turkish Dictionary of the Turkish Language Institution, you can see that the concept of analysis includes the expression of decomposition into parts, that is, analysis. The analyzes to be made enable to reveal the information that will be effective in forming the basis for taking certain decisions. Decisions to be taken without impact analysis results will have no scientific basis. For this reason, after the impact analysis is done, making a decision about the direction and nature of the impact is called impact assessment.

Impact assessment covers the concept of impact analysis. The process of making decisions about the nature of the impact, which is more comprehensive in terms of process, is called impact assessment. Impact analysis, on the other hand, is to determine whether there is an impact related to a situation. The Figure below explains the scope and relationship of the concept of impact analysis and impact assessment.


Figure. The relationship between impact analysis and impact assessment concepts

As can be seen when the figure is examined, impact analysis and impact analysis methods that enable this analysis are included in the scope of impact assessment concept.

It is very important to separate these two concepts and to reveal the connection and relationship between them. The careless use of these terms interchangeably causes confusion in impact assessment studies. If only the impact will be revealed and a decision or evaluation based on the results of the impact analysis will not be conducted, then this study can be called impact analysis. If the nature and direction of the impact and certain decisions are made based on the results of the impact analysis, then the concept of impact assessment should be used. Because if the results of the impact analysis are discussed in the context of causality, it means that the impact assessment is being done.