A Systematic Literature Review and Thematic Analysis of DEMATEL in Transport Systems

Introduction/Background Multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approaches have been utilized recently in several types of research, including transport systems. MCDM can aid researchers in the decision-making process in complex situations that entail more than one criterion in the selection process. Among MCDM approaches, Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL), or the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory, is a useful tool for examining the underlying connections between various components of complex systems. Materials and Methods This research conducts a systematic literature review and a thematic analysis that synthesizes the current body of literature that employed the DEMATEL technique within the context of transportation systems. We searched five electronic databases (ScienceDirect, Springer, Taylor & Francis, Scopus, and Web of Science) for studies from 2018 to 2024 using preset keywords. A total of 37 papers were retrieved, and after removing duplicates in Mendeley, 28 remained. Abstracts were manually reviewed based on inclusion criteria, followed by a quality assessment, resulting in a final dataset of 26 studies. Results The study presents potential research and future directions focusing on the sustainability and environmental impact within transportation systems. Discussion Findings underscore the diversity of DEMATEL applications, ranging from transport type, sustainable initiatives, and safety and risk management. Conclusion This review concludes with recommendations for future research directions aimed at addressing emerging challenges and advancing the field of decision-making in the transportation sector.