Bibliographic and comparative analyses to explore emerging classic texts in megaproject management

Megaproject management (MPM) is a highly complex emerging research field with fragmental and diversified traits. Understanding the work on MPM and its classic texts can help advance the current body of knowledge significantly. However, to date, few quantitative methods exist that can determine the classic texts in MPM. This study aims to investigate the potential emergence of studies on MPM on the basis of bibliometric techniques. We conducted a bibliographic meta-network analysis for the most cited classic texts in five selected management theories as a reference group. By comparing the results from the reference group and from MPM, we identified and discussed several key features in the current MPM studies. This study bridges the gap in the quantitative identification and evaluation of classic texts in MPM theory, and lays out a road map for the future development of MPM theory.