Thematic study on the problem of project complexity in project management: a bibliometric analysis Proje yönetiminde proje karmaşıklığı sorunsalına tematik inceleme: bir bibliyometrik analiz


Lekesizgöz K. A., ŞEHİTOĞLU Y.

Gumushane Universitesi Fen Bilimleri Dergisi, cilt.15, sa.2, ss.407-431, 2025 (Scopus) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 15 Sayı: 2
  • Basım Tarihi: 2025
  • Doi Numarası: 10.17714/gumusfenbil.1585181
  • Dergi Adı: Gumushane Universitesi Fen Bilimleri Dergisi
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Scopus, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM)
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.407-431
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Bibliometric analysis, Biblioshiny, Project complexity, Project management, Vosviewer
  • Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

The concept of complexity in the management and development of projects appears as a phenomenon that is always felt and increases systematically and asymmetrically with the developments in globalization, new technologies, supply chains and many other fields. The effects of this phenomenon on the academic community are that it creates a new field of study. Academic research on the idea of "project complexity" in foreign literature is more developed than in Turkish literature, and several studies indicate that handling and perceiving project complexity is crucial to effective project management. This study investigates the current status and future trends in project complexity literature in the Web of Science database. 1.210 English-language articles spanning the years 1980–2024 were chosen for the study from the database. With the use of an illustration and analytical modeling method based on the linking of bibliography and references for project complexity studies, frequency, trend, conceptual, thematic, and factor analyses were conducted on keywords. The volume of publications in the field, prominent authors, institutes, and studies, as well as the shift in research themes, were all analyzed in the present setting. In line with the findings obtained, bibliometric and thematic analyses contributed to seeing the conceptual aspects and theoretical background of project complexity. By examining thematic analyses, it was aimed to reveal a theoreticaly typology regarding project complexity by determining popular concepts, motor themes, niche areas, and outdated terms to provide a basis for future research.