Release Time:2019-03-10  Hits:

Indexed by: Journal Article

Date of Publication: 2017-01-01

Journal: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL DISTRIBUTION & LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT

Included Journals: SCIE、SSCI

Volume: 47

Issue: 8

Page Number: 666-687

ISSN: 0960-0035

Key Words: Reverse logistics; Co-citation analysis; Bibliometric analysis; Closed-loop supply chain; Burst detection; Product recovery; Returns management

Abstract: Purpose - Interest in reverse logistics (RL) as a critical component of supply chain management (SCM) is gaining more traction with both practitioners and academics. Because of RL's growing strategic importance, it is imperative to conduct a timely and comprehensive literature review and to identify associated opportunities for future research. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
   Design/methodology/approach - In this paper, the researchers conduct an extensive bibliometric analysis of published academic articles on RL for the period of 1992-2015. Specifically, the CiteSpace software is utilized to conduct document co-citation analysis and burst detection analysis on 912 selected RL articles and their 22,642 references.
   Findings - This research identifies the most influential RL research publications/citations in each of the five periods and their research contribution. Using co-citation analysis, the authors are able to identify and illustrate major research themes, knowledge groups, and future research opportunities in the RL field.
   Originality/value - In contrast to existing literature review studies in the logistics field, the study uses impact factor as a key article selection criterion. The influential articles identified in this process well represent the core literature and RL body of knowledge and have important implications for future research.