The Role of Gamification in Knowledge Management and Documentation of Experiences Based on Studies Indexed in the Web of Science: A Scientometrics Study

Considering the importance of knowledge and activities related to knowledge management in the knowledge-based era, as well as the existence of issues such as desire, motivation, and participation of people, it is necessary to design and use tools and mechanisms, such as gamification, to motivate people to participate in activities and processes related to knowledge management. Additionally, there has been a significant amount of research on the combination of knowledge management and gamification. Therefore, the aim of this research is to answer the following questions: 1. What is the status of studies related to gamification and knowledge management in terms of document format, publication language, countries, participating institutions and researchers, participating research areas, and top publications? What are the main subjects that frequently appear together, have a significant impact (receiving citations), and are widely discussed in research on gamification and knowledge management, as determined through co-word analysis and social network analysis? What are the most frequent co-word pairs in these studies? 3. What is the hierarchical clustering of study subjects related to gamification and knowledge management based on co-occurrence analysis? 4. In terms of the maturity and development level of the clusters resulting from the co-word analysis, what is the situation in the strategic diagram related to the studies of gamification and knowledge management? 5. Is there a significant difference between the scientific fields participating in studies related to gamification and knowledge management in terms of the number of citations and records produced? 

This descriptive-analytical study was conducted using the scientometrics approach and employed various techniques including co-word analysis, social network analysis, hierarchical clustering, and strategic diagram techniques. The study population includes research studies on gamification and knowledge management from the Web of Science database, spanning from 1991 to 2022. In order to analyze data and draw graphs, Excel, Bibexcel, Histcite, UCINET, VOSViewer, and SPSS are used. 

Among the 449 related studies, Fernandez-Manjon, Bee, and Martinez-Ortiz from the United States and the United Kingdom, along with researchers from the Complutense University of Madrid and the University of Taiwan, have made significant contributions to the field of knowledge management and gamification. Notably, the journals Computer & Education and Sustainability have published many influential articles in this area. Publications in this area have shown a steady growth rate, with the highest rate achieved in 2020. Gamification, education, and game-based learning are the keywords with the highest frequencies, with 104, 88, and 66 occurrences, respectively. In terms of citations, the subjects of gender differences and online memory games have the most citations, with 331 and 229 references, respectively. The studies were hierarchically clustered into five clusters. In the knowledge management process through gamification, cluster 3, which focuses on user centricity, has the highest centrality value of 21. Cluster 2, which aims to enhance the efficiency of knowledge management through smartization, has the highest density value of 1.071. Among contributors in various scientific fields, education has the highest level of productivity compared to other areas. 

Analyzing studies related to gamification and knowledge management can provide valuable insights into the key contributors and subjects, leading to a better understanding of the visions, issues, and dominant discourse. This understanding can ultimately enhance the quality and quantity of products and the practical application of these studies.On the other hand, mapping and identifying the intellectual structure of knowledge in this field helps researchers to focus their studies purposefully and align them with practical topics. This enables them to advance their knowledge in the field. Additionally, the visual representation of the intellectual structure of knowledge in the aforementioned scientific field can offer a scientific perspective on the significant and emerging issues within these fields. It can also highlight thematic gaps and discourage redundant and underutilized research in Iran.