Critical evaluation of cognitive analysis techniques for construction field management

Cognitive analysis techniques to document field personnelʹs knowledge have been a recent topic of interest in construction. However, the decision to utilize such techniques remains a difficult one, given their perceived complexity, their variety of scopes and means and their expected limitations for utilization in jobsites. This paper presents a critical review of cognitive analysis techniques to analyze their value for construction management research. The evaluation is geared towards identifying the function of different types of techniques as well as constraints for their implementation in construction environments. In the evaluation, the components of techniques are dissected to uncover their individual capabilities and applications, while also providing insight into the actual difficulties to collect and represent knowledge. This analysis is complemented by the authorsʹ experience in previous cognitive analysis studies, which helps produce a set of recommendations about the practical challenges and implications of deploying specific techniques in construction jobsites.