The purpose of this article was to identify current development directions and potential research gaps in project management. Design/methodology/approach: The method of systematic review of articles published in the Elsevier-Science Direct database in the years 2000-2019 was used, where the search phrase was "project management" and the type of articles was "research articles". In order to answer the research questions posed, an additional method of analysis and criticism of the literature was used. Findings: The following conclusions were drawn from the analysis of the articles: a) almost a third of them concerned the practical application of PM issues in one clearly defined sector of the economy, with the most common reference being to the building sector and IS/IT, b) most articles were created in English-speaking countries (47%), c) the largest number of articles concerned the area of human resource (HR) management, including many subjects of qualifications and leadership, d) of the ten areas of knowledge specified in PMBoK, "HR" and "scheduling/time" were the most popular, followed by risk-related issues. Practical implications: The findings of this article would contribute to building a strong and coherent theory and identify best practices in project management. Originality/value: The most important achievement is the recognition of two areas of knowledge-lean management and game theory-where little research has been done so far, and whose solutions and methods could be successfully implemented inside PM.