Research trends in megaprojects: A systematic review

Aydoğan G.

Journal of Construction Engineering, Management & Innovation (Online), cilt.8, sa.3, ss.236-256, 2025 (ESCI, TRDizin)

Özet

Megaprojects have become one of the top topics of construction management literature for the last two decades. Conducting a structured and systematic literature review enables the investigation of research trends in megaprojects. This study aims to identify and categorize key research trends, analyze their evolution over 2013–2023, and review applied methodologies. The first step of the literature review showed that megaprojects had caught the attention of researchers by the early 1990s. However, this topic gained popularity after 2000 and received significant attention by 2016. Therefore, this study focused on the articles and reviews published between 2013 and 2023 in selected leading construction journals using the SCOPUS database. According to the comprehensive literature review; organizational management, project management, strategic management, the performance of megaprojects, risk management, and innovation were identified as the main research topics. Within the context of this study, research methods and techniques used in articles concerning megaprojects were also reviewed. Case studies, questionnaire surveys, interviews, and literature reviews/analyses were identified as the research methodologies that were applied in megaproject studies. Structural equation modeling (SEM), content analysis, regression analysis, and factor analysis were used as research techniques in studies related to megaprojects. The results of this study indicate that performance, strategic management, innovation, and risk management remain promising for future research. This review provides a structured synthesis of the existing literature and identifies emerging areas for future academic research on megaprojects in construction management. Also, findings of the study offer insights for practitioners and policymakers to better align governance and innovation in megaprojects.