Navigating the shift towards sustainable digital building permits and building logbooks

Abstract

In response to peer review feedback, the article underwent several key revisions to enhance clarity and academic rigour. First, the authors incorporated new and relevant literature, including a 2024 study on digital building permits and logbooks, as well as a 2023 paper on digital sustainability in horticulture. These additions aim to strengthen the theoretical foundation and contextual relevance of the study. To address concerns about theoretical depth, the Introduction was revised to provide a more precise explanation of the study’s contribution: a replicable method for mapping digital construction practices to global sustainability targets and identifying DBP and DBL practices that advance sustainable construction and building management. The Discussion and Conclusions sections were expanded to emphasise the unique contribution of the study, namely, the first systematic mapping of Digital Building Permit (DBP) and Digital Building Logbook (DBL) practices to specific UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Methodological transparency was improved by detailing the purposive sampling of experts, the rationale for the four-phase research design, and the tools used (Slido and Miro) for data collection and validation. Clarifications were added regarding the qualitative nature of the study, the absence of data normalisation, and the anonymisation of workshop responses. Language and formatting were also refined. Grammatical errors were corrected, long sentences shortened, and citation formatting reviewed. The figure and the table were verified for proper citation. Finally, the revised Conclusions section now explicitly acknowledges the study’s limitations, including its European focus, the use of single-point-in-time data collection, and the qualitative nature of its findings.