This article aims to identify research approaches in operations strategy research, with regards its content. From a systematic literature review we highlight the main definitions of operations strategy and discussions on competitive priorities and then, present the main focuses of the articles published in reputable journals nationally and internationally. It was identified that studies on the operations strategy followed in general the direction of relating the influence and the alignment of competitive priorities for structural and infrastructure decisions. And there are initiatives of studies, which derive from that, to relate the operations strategy in the context of supply chain, which in future may be an important trend. The results of this article bring insights on research trends in a subject with constant interest from researchers in the field of operations management.