Supply chain cost research: a bibliometric mapping perspective

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on logistics and supply chain costs to provide an analysis of sources of publication, citations and authorship using bibliometric analysis techniques (VOSviewer and CitNetExplorer tools). Design/methodology/approach A review of 756 articles published during the period 2014 to 2019 referenced in the Scopus database was performed. The review was limited to articles published in English and directly related to logistics and supply chain costs. Findings The research identified more than 2,000 authors representing more than 5,000 keywords and 10,000 references from a total of 155 journals investigated. A critical synthesis of the resulting data revealed several insights about various aspects of studies in this field. For instance, the review identified a scarcity of academic publications in three key areas, namely “supply chain,” “optimization” and “transportation”, which are concepts focused on the total supply chain. Originality/value This research highlights important areas of attention for both researchers and practitioners considering costs associated with logistics and supply chain operations and strategies. The results can also help identify thematic areas, journals and topics for future research. The paper identifies and proposes research areas to contribute to the literature when challenges to investigating logistics and supply chain costs are discussed.