Scientometric Review of Research Trends on Construction Project Variations

Variations in construction projects are inevitable. These variations, unless properly managed, can lead to serious cost and time overruns, which affect the overall success of construction projects. Over the years, research on variations management within the construction domain has been recording a tremendous upsurge. Monitoring this research progress is crucial to identifying topics that need more investigation. This study, therefore, conducted a scientometric review using the bibliometric data from 897 research articles on variations management in the area of construction projects with the aid of the VOS viewer software. The analysis revealed that from 1982 to 2023, variations research publications grew steadily. This demonstrates the growing dedication of efforts towards the management of variations in construction projects. The study reveals leading outlets, authors and studies in variations management research. The study consequently contributes to the body of knowledge by providing early career researchers, funding bodies, construction project policymakers, as well as industry professionals with a useful reference point on the scientific research advancements in variations management research.