# Developing Standard BIM Execution Plans for Complex Construction Projects
## 2 Methodology  
This research adopts a multi-faceted research design that incorporates scientometric analysis to scrutinize the current state of building information modeling (BIM) execution plans (BEPs) and their alignment with international standards. The methodological approach is detailed in Figure 1.  
* Literature Review: An extensive literature review was undertaken, leveraging databases such as Web of Science and Scopus to identify pertinent publications from 2018 to 2024. The objective was to delineate prevailing trends and foundational concepts within BIM execution plans, ensuring a comprehensive and globally representative analysis. * Document Analysis: The research critically examined 36 BEP documents chosen for their pivotal contributions to the domain. These documents, sourced from diverse global entities, were evaluated against international standards and guidelines. The analysis concentrated on content structure, practice methods, contractual stipulations, and project-specific characteristics. * Scientometric Analysis: This component included citation and keyword analysis to delineate the intellectual terrain of BEP research. This analysis was instrumental in identifying key authors, institutions, and seminal publications, thereby shedding light on the evolution of the field and its key scholarly contributions. The use of scientometric analysis in this study is justified by its ability to evaluate the progress and development of research systematically and quantitatively within the field of BIM execution plans (BEPs). Scientometric analysis offers several key benefits:Mapping Research Trends: Scientometric analysis helps in identifying the most influential works, key research themes, and leading authors and institutions in the field of BEPs. This provides a comprehensive understanding of the intellectual landscape and highlights the evolution of research trends from 2020 to 2024. Objective Assessment: By analyzing citation data and keyword co-occurrences, scientometric analysis provides an objective assessment of the research impact and the relative importance of different studies. This helps in distinguishing foundational works from less influential ones, ensuring that the proposed framework is built on a robust foundation of significant contributions. Identifying Gaps: The analysis reveals gaps in the current literature and research, guiding the focus of this study toward underexplored areas. By identifying these gaps, this research can address specific deficiencies and contribute novel insights to the field. * Factor Frequency Analysis: This analysis was employed to scrutinize the fundamental and ancillary elements of BEPs, identifying both commonalities and discrepancies across various documents. This approach facilitated a nuanced understanding of the standardization efforts within the field. * Data Collection: Data collection was conducted from a variety of sources, including academic institutions, governmental agencies, national standard bodies, and industry professionals. This extensive gathering of data was crucial for capturing the varied methodologies and practices employed in BEP implementation. * Comparative Analysis: An in-depth comparative analysis was performed, which synthesized the insights garnered and was discussed extensively in the results section of the study. The industry survey method was chosen for several reasons:
* Practical Relevance: Surveys captured the practical experiences and challenges faced by industry professionals in implementing BEPs. This ensured that the proposed framework was grounded in real-world practices and addressed the actual needs of stakeholders. * Broad Perspective: By surveying 87 industry professionals from various fields within the construction industry, the study gathered a wide range of viewpoints. This diversity enhanced the generalizability of the findings and ensured that the framework is applicable across different contexts and project types.