A Proposed Keyword Taxonomy for Operations Management Research

Abstract

Purpose: To develop a controlled vocabulary of less than 30 terms that represents level 1 of a taxonomy for the field of operations management, integrating previous available work to improve efficiency in searching and retrieving scientific information in the area.

Design/methodology/approach: A systematic review of encyclopedias and glossaries in the field was conducted, mainly based on Hill (2012, 2019). The three authors employed an iterative process to define and validate the first-level terms, contrasting them with sources such as Gass & Fu (2013), Helms (2006), and the APICS thesaurus. Affinity diagrams were used to structure and relate the identified terms.

Findings: 20 top-level terms covering the main areas of operations management were identified and defined. The resulting taxonomy is available online (https://taxom.blogs.upv.es/). It provides a hierarchical structure that integrates the main concepts of the field, differentiating itself from previous work by focusing on relevance to research, education, and professional practice contexts.

Research limitations/implications: The thematic coverage of the proposed taxonomy requires further verification to ensure its comprehensiveness. Future research should focus on validating the taxonomy by applying it to a representative sample of articles within the field of operations management. This validation process will help confirm whether the first-level terms are robust and precise for effective categorisation and usability in academic and professional contexts.

Practical implications: The taxonomy facilitates scientific editorial management by providing a standardised list for selecting keywords in manuscripts and identifying reviewers' fields of expertise. It also improves the efficiency of mapping science studies and systematic reviews and enhances the visibility and accessibility of published research in operations management.