A bibliometric review of research on delays in construction projects between 2000-2024

This study examines the evolution, structure and dynamics of construction delay research between 2000 and 2024 through a comparative bibliometric analysis of Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus databases. A total of 899 research articles (WoS: 366; Scopus: 533) were analysed using VOSviewer to identify publication trends, collaboration patterns and thematic structures. The findings reveal a significant increase in research output and indicate growing scholarly and practical attention to delay-related issues, particularly after 2018. However, collaboration networks among authors, countries and institutions remain fragmented, characterised by regionally clustered structures and limited cross-network integration. Thematic analysis identifies eight major research clusters: core project performance and delay outcomes; project planning, optimisation, and decision processes; quantitative risk analysis and decision-support modelling; delay causes and project context factors; project control and system-based management; fuzzy-based and structural modelling approaches; digital technologies and data-driven methods; and offsite construction and simulation applications. The results further show a transition from descriptive studies focusing on delay causes towards predictive, data-driven and technology-oriented approaches including risk modelling, optimisation and digital tools. Despite these advancements, emerging themes remain only partially connected to established research streams, which indicates limited theoretical and methodological integration within the field. Density and betweenness centrality metrics further support these findings by showing sparse author and organisation networks, partially connected country and keyword networks, and a concentration of bridging roles around a limited number of actors and concepts. By focusing specifically on construction delays as an independent research domain, integrating bibliometric mapping with theoretical interpretation, and adopting a dual-database comparative design, this study extends existing bibliometric literature and provides a more structured understanding of the field’s development. The findings offer implications for future research, particularly in terms of integrating fragmented knowledge areas and strengthening cross-regional collaboration.