Gamification, the strategic incorporation of game elements into non-game contexts, offers potential for enhancing user engagement and motivation in diverse fields, including training. While the literature on gamification is extensive, research specifically focusing on organizational gamification and the Octalysis framework—a systematic organization of gamified elements—remains limited. This study addresses this gap by employing bibliometric analysis to investigate the evolution and structure of research on the Gamification Octalysis Framework in training, examining its growth from 2017 to June 2023. The research questions explored include identifying emerging trends, pinpointing the most productive countries, authors, journals, and affiliations, determining the most cited papers, and identifying the dominant document types, research areas, and domains, along with the most frequently used keywords. The findings provide insights into research frontiers, collaborative networks, key themes, and influential contributors, ultimately aiming to inform future research and policy in this area. The study highlights the significant potential of the Octalysis framework for enhancing training effectiveness and suggests the need for wider adoption, particularly outside of Europe.

The paper reviews existing literature on gamification, differentiating it from the historical use of games in training. It highlights the need for a more scientific approach to gamification design, emphasizing the importance of selecting game elements based on their proven connection to desired outcomes. The Octalysis framework, developed by Yu-kai Chou, is introduced as a prominent model for understanding and designing effective gamification. This framework comprises eight core drivers of human motivation: Epic Meaning and Calling, Development and Accomplishment, Creative Expression and Feedback, Ownership and Possession, Social Influence and Relatedness, Scarcity and Impatience, Unpredictability and Curiosity, and Loss and Avoidance. The literature review also touches upon Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and its relevance to intrinsic motivation within gamification. The review contrasts function-focused design with human-focused design, emphasizing the importance of understanding and catering to the psychological needs of users in gamified systems. Existing research showcasing the varied applications and potential benefits of the Octalysis Framework in gamified training is then discussed, highlighting its use in different sectors like healthcare, information technology and education.

This study adopted a bibliometric approach, guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Data was sourced from the Clarivate Analytics Web of Science database. The search strategy focused on articles published between 2017 and June 2023, using keywords such as "training" and "Gamification Octalysis Framework" in various combinations within the titles, keywords, and abstracts. Articles from unrelated fields (primarily medical) were excluded. Data cleaning involved standardizing capitalization, verifying author initials, removing duplicate references, and ensuring data completeness. The analysis utilized VOSviewer software to visualize and analyze the relationships between articles, authors, keywords, and citations. The indicators employed included descriptive and relational bibliometric indicators such as publication year frequency, keyword co-occurrence, author co-occurrence, citation co-occurrence, and citation analysis. These were used to map the intellectual structure of the field and uncover its evolution. The various stages involved in the data analysis are described, starting with the establishment of selection criteria, followed by data retrieval and cleaning and the application of the aforementioned bibliometric indicators to derive the results.

The key findings reveal a significant increase in publications on the Gamification Octalysis Framework in training, particularly in 2022. Portugal and the United States emerged as the most productive countries, with the University of Coimbra in Portugal standing out as the most productive affiliation. Araujo I and Carvalho AA were identified as the most productive authors. The most frequent document type was conference proceedings, followed by articles. Education and Computer Science were the most productive research areas, with Education having a slightly higher number of publications overall. The social sciences domain contained the highest number of publications. The most frequently used keywords included "Gamification," "Octalysis Framework," and "Serious Games." Citation analysis revealed that "Enablers and Difficulties in the Implementation of Gamification: A Case Study with Teachers" was the most cited article. Analysis of the trends suggests that Portugal and the USA are leading in this area. The analysis indicates a strong focus within the social sciences, with a relatively lower number of publications from the science and technology sectors.

The findings indicate a growing interest in applying the Octalysis framework to training, with a surge in publications in recent years. The dominance of Portugal and the United States suggests supportive research environments in these countries. The high number of conference proceedings compared to journal articles might indicate that the field is still developing and that preliminary findings are often presented at conferences before journal publication. The concentration of research within social sciences compared to science and technology highlights the need for greater interdisciplinary collaboration. The high citation count for a specific case study emphasizes the practical relevance of the framework. The study points towards a gap in research from non-European countries, highlighting the need to expand this area of study globally. This disparity suggests potential opportunities for future research to explore cultural and regional factors influencing the adoption and effectiveness of the Gamification Octalysis Framework in training.

This bibliometric analysis reveals a significant increase in research on the Gamification Octalysis Framework in training, especially in Portugal and the U.S., highlighting the framework's increasing relevance. However, the study also reveals the need for increased international participation and further research to explore the framework's application across diverse contexts and cultures. Future research should focus on bridging the gap between European and non-European contributions and conducting further qualitative research to deepen understanding of factors impacting implementation and effectiveness. Additional research is needed to fully assess the long-term impact and effectiveness of the Gamification Octalysis Framework in diverse training environments. Also, further research comparing the Octalysis framework-based gamification with traditional approaches is required.

The study's limitations include its reliance on a single database (Web of Science), potentially excluding relevant publications from other databases. The analysis was limited to documents published up to June 2023. The study also only considered specific document types. Future research could benefit from incorporating additional databases and a broader range of document types to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the research landscape. The focus on publications might not fully capture the practical implementation and impacts of the framework. Further research incorporating qualitative data and case studies would enhance the findings.