Doan, D T; Mai, T P A; GhaffarianHoseini, A; GhaffarianHoseini, A and Naismith, N (2025) A review of the current state and future trends in modern methods of construction research. Construction Innovation, 25(6), pp. 1821-1839. ISSN 1471-4175
Abstract
Purpose This study aims to identify the primary research areas of modern methods of construction (MMC) along with its current trends and developments. Design/methodology/approach A combination of bibliometric and qualitative analysis is adopted to examine 1,957 MMC articles in the Scopus database. With the support of CiteSpace 6.1.R6, the clusters, leading authors, journals, institutions and countries in the field of MMC are examined. Findings Offsite construction, inter-modular connections, augmenting output, prefabricated concrete beams and earthquake-resilient prefabricated beam–column steel joints are the top five research areas in MMC. Among them, offsite construction and inter-modular connections are significantly focused, with many research articles. The potential for collaboration, among prominent authors such as Wang, J., Liu, Y. and Wang, Y., explains the recent rapid growth of the MMC field of research. With a total of 225 articles, Engineering Structures is the journal that has published the most articles on MMC. China is the leading country in this field, and the Ministry of Education China is the top institution in MMC. Originality/value The findings of this study bear significant implications for stakeholders in academia and industry alike. In academia, these insights allow researchers to identify research gaps and foster collaboration, steering efforts toward innovative and impactful outcomes. For industries using MMC practices, the clarity provided on MMC techniques facilitates the efficient adoption of best practices, thereby promoting collaboration, innovation and global problem-solving within the construction field.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | bibliometric; citespace; modern methods of construction; modular construction; offsite construction |
| Index terms: | column, journal, modular construction, database, collaboration, methodology, qualitative analysis, beam, best practice, China, concrete beam, earthquake, modern methods of construction, academia |
| Subjects: | data management, research dissemination and communication, building construction, educational institutions, business, structural engineering, research design and methodology, Geography, research methods, environmental hazards, management |
| Topics: | Construction Technology, Engineering Principles, Sustainability, Research Practice, Organizational Design, Business Strategy, Digital Applications, Education, Geographical Context |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here