A Systematic Review of Federated Learning: Emerging Techniques, Challenges, and Research Directions

Abstract

Federated Learning FL is a rapidly evolving machine learning paradigm that enables collaborative model training across decentralized data sources while preserving data privacy. Since its inception in 2016, FL has emerged as a transformative approach in domains such as healthcare, IoT, and edge computing, where data sensitivity and regulatory constraints limit centralized processing. This systematic review consolidates findings from 50 high-quality studies selected from over 250 papers to present a comprehensive synthesis of FL methodologies, core aggregation techniques, privacy-preserving mechanisms, security threats, domain-specific applications, and emerging trends. We categorize challenges into communication overhead, heterogeneity (device, data, model), fairness, trust, and evaluation inconsistencies. We highlight research gaps, notably in standardized evaluation, incentive mechanisms, and deployment scalability. By reviewing recent advances such as vertical federated learning, federated unlearning, and blockchain-based incentives, this paper offers a roadmap for future research and identifies open questions vital for widespread FL adoption.