The Distribution and Pickup of Goods: A Literature Review and Survey

Research Methodology

In order to analyze our literature, authors have adapted the research methodology proposed by Taghipour & Frayrer (2013) to analyze the literature based on a proposed framework of analysis and using this framework to classify the contributions. To do this, in this research, the researchers focus on the vehicle routing literature dedicated to the pickup and delivery of goods. First, they analyze selected contributions of the literature using a systematic analysis based on several dimensions. Next, using this analysis, they propose a classification scheme of vehicle routing with pickup and delivery approaches based on their underlying methodological tools. In other words, the authors propose a classification that emphasizes the methods, rather than the decision models’ characteristics or the VRP contexts. This allows them to analyze upfront the multidisciplinary nature of this domain of research (Taghipour & Frayret, 2013). This section outlines both the methodology used to identify and select contributions from the literature, and the systematic framework of analysis.