Multiple criteria decision-making techniques and their applications – a review of the literature from 2000 to 2014

Multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) is considered as a complex decision-making (DM) tool involving both quantitative and qualitative factors. In recent years, several MCDM techniques and approaches have been suggested to choosing the optimal probable options. The purpose of this article is to systematically review the applications and methodologies of the MCDM techniques and approaches. This study reviewed a total of 393 articles published from 2000 to 2014 in more than 120 peer reviewed journals (extracted from Web of Science). According to experts’ opinion, these articles were grouped into 15 fields. Furthermore, these articles were categorised based on authors, publication date, name of journals, methods, tools, and type of research (MCDM utilising research, MCDM developing research, and MCDM proposing research). The results of this study indicated that in 2013 scholars have published articles more than in other years. In addition, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method in the individual tools and hybrid MCDM in the integrated methods were ranked as the first and second methods in use. Additionally, the European Journal of Operational Research as the first journal with 70 publications was the significant journal in this study. Finally, energy, environment and sustainability were ranked as the first areas that have applied MCDM techniques and approaches.