MBSE research landscape mapped: identifying key themes and future trajectories

Why It Matters

Understanding the landscape of MBSE research, including its key themes and influential sources, is crucial for designers and engineers working on complex systems. This knowledge can inform project direction, identify potential collaborators, and highlight emerging technologies that could address current practical challenges.

Key Finding

The study found that MBSE research is fragmented across many teams but has established key publication venues. The core research areas are system engineering principles, modeling languages, interconnected systems, and digital transformation, with new modeling technologies actively solving existing issues.

Key Findings

• MBSE research is conducted by numerous distinct research teams.
• Key publication sources in the MBSE field have emerged.
• Research on MBSE primarily focuses on system engineering, languages, systems of systems, and digitalization.
• The development of new technologies, such as next-generation modeling languages, is addressing current practical problems in MBSE.

Research Evidence

Aim: To map the evolution, current state, and future directions of Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) research through a bibliometric analysis.

Method: Bibliometric analysis and visual network analysis.

Procedure: A comprehensive survey of MBSE literature was conducted from its inception to current trends. Bibliometric tools were employed to perform a visual network analysis of MBSE-related manuscripts, identifying interrelationships between researchers, distribution across domains, and authoritative publication sources. Current practices and future directions were analyzed based on these findings.

Context: Complex systems engineering, particularly in fields like aerospace.

Design Principle

Systematic exploration and mapping of research landscapes are essential for strategic innovation and development in complex engineering domains.

How to Apply

When initiating a complex systems design project, conduct a targeted literature review focusing on the identified key themes and influential sources within MBSE to inform your approach and identify potential tools or methodologies.

Limitations

The analysis is based on published literature, which may not capture all ongoing or unpublished research. The focus on bibliometrics might overlook qualitative aspects of MBSE adoption and practice.

Student Guide (IB Design Technology)

Simple Explanation: This study looked at lots of papers about Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) to see who is researching it, what topics are popular, and where the field is going. It found that many different groups are working on MBSE, and the main topics are about how to design and manage complex systems using models, especially with new digital tools and languages.

Why This Matters: Understanding the research landscape of MBSE helps you identify the most relevant theories, tools, and future directions for your design project, ensuring your work is informed by current best practices and emerging trends.

Critical Thinking: How might the identified research themes in MBSE (system engineering, languages, systems of systems, digitalization) be prioritized or integrated differently depending on the specific industry or complexity of the system being designed?

IA-Ready Paragraph: A bibliometric analysis of Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) reveals a dynamic research landscape characterized by distinct research teams and emerging publication hubs. The core research areas identified include system engineering principles, modeling languages, the management of systems of systems, and the impact of digitalization. Furthermore, the study highlights that advancements in technologies, such as next-generation modeling languages, are actively contributing to the resolution of current practical challenges within MBSE.

Project Tips

• When starting a design project involving complex systems, consider how MBSE principles and tools can be applied.
• Research the latest modeling languages and digital platforms mentioned in MBSE literature to inform your tool selection.

How to Use in IA

• Cite this study when discussing the background and current state of Model-Based Systems Engineering in your design project's research section.
• Use the identified key research themes (system engineering, languages, systems of systems, digitalization) to structure your literature review or to justify the focus of your design exploration.

Examiner Tips

• Demonstrate an understanding of the broader research context for your chosen design field, referencing key studies that map out its evolution and current trends.
• Justify your design choices by referencing relevant research findings, such as the benefits of specific modeling approaches or technologies identified in literature surveys.

Independent Variable: Time (past, current, future trends in MBSE research)

Dependent Variable: Research themes, researcher interrelationships, publication sources, current practices, future directions in MBSE

Strengths

• Provides a comprehensive overview of the MBSE research field.
• Identifies key trends and future directions based on empirical data from publications.

Critical Questions

• Does the bibliometric analysis adequately capture the practical adoption and challenges of MBSE in real-world design projects?
• How might the identified 'future directions' be translated into actionable design strategies for current projects?

Extended Essay Application

• An Extended Essay could explore the application of MBSE in a specific domain (e.g., automotive, healthcare) by conducting a focused bibliometric analysis of research within that niche, comparing its findings to the broader trends identified in this paper.
• Students could use the identified key themes to guide their research question and methodology for an Extended Essay focused on improving a specific aspect of systems engineering through modeling.

Source

Bibliometric Analysis of Model-Based Systems Engineering: Past, Current, and Future · IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management · 2022 · 10.1109/tem.2022.3186637