Specific User Groups Research Articles

What is a “good” library? The measures are changing

PurposeStandardization of library performance measures started in 1994, when several handbooks describing performance indicators had already appeared. The 1st edition of the International Standard ISO 11620 was published in 1998, followed by an amendment 5 years later, both dealing with the traditional library. As indicators for the digital library services were still developing, a pre-standard technical report for such indicators was published separately in 2003. The second edition was published in 2008 and combined 45 indicators for traditional and digital services, if possible, as “hybrid” indicators. The 3rd edition appeared in 2013 with 52 indicators, presenting new topics such as preservation and digitization. For this edition, seven indicators had been eliminated as outdated. The 4th edition was edited in 2023, presenting 61 indicators, of which 14 new indicators and many revisions. The paper follows the subject areas and corresponding indicators over time and tries to define the present and possible future trends.Design/methodology/approachThe paper describes the development of library performance measurement as standardized in ISO 11620. It follows the changes, additions and deletions of indicators since the first edition in 1998 and compares them to the changes in libraries’ tasks and activities.FindingsThe analysis shows that indicators for changing tasks and technologies or for new fields of interest follow a few years after the changes, as the methods have to be developed and tested. New topics are often introduced from outside, following political trends and themes, such as cost-efficiency or support for special user groups. An important input came from other standards with quality indicators, especially ISO 21246 for museums and ISO 21248 for national libraries. An interesting issue is the changing role of indicators for the digital library in ISO 11620. Until the forthcoming edition, a simple increase in digital collections and services was often regarded as quality. The new concept is to regard the existence of digital services and collections in libraries as normal and to look for additional aspects, e.g. the use of a digitized collection.Research limitations/implicationsFor the first time, the forthcoming edition will contain a clause about impact assessment. Measuring the quality of library services should not stop with effectiveness and efficiency but should also include assessing the impact on individuals and society. Methods for assessing library impact are described in a separate standard, ISO 16439. However, there is evidently a borderland between evaluating the quality of library services and identifying their effect on users. The new edition of ISO 11620 tries to clarify this and includes some “border” indicators, such as measures for the awareness of libraries their services.Originality/valueThe overview of developments in the standardized performance measures will help to understand the relation of the indicators to the current goals and tasks of libraries and may further the use of the standard. As libraries’ tasks and activities will continue to develop and change, new topics will come up in the next few years, some of which can already be identified today.

Same term, but unequal understanding: differences in digital public health intervention features

Abstract Digital technologies have transformed healthcare delivery and public health, with many countries integrating interventions such as online consultations, electronic health records, and telemedicine to improve population health and healthcare accessibility. Multinational assessments for benchmarking system maturity ask for the degree of implementation of such tools. However, are these interventions as comparable as they claim to be? This talk presents a qualitative analysis of 179 digital public health (DiPH) interventions described in scientific articles. We categorized interventions based on their implementation stages, public health functions, and reported and non-technical features. Telemedicine, health apps, and electronic health record interventions dominated the diverse landscape. While these technology groups already differed greatly in their functions, we identified equally significant differences in the reported intervention characteristics within the groups. For example, telemedicine was not only used in healthcare settings for patients and health professionals but also in primary prevention and research for researchers, policymakers, and healthy individuals. Different interventions reported varying functions, such as remote monitoring, self-monitoring, alarm systems, patient motivation, and user empowerment modules. So, is there one common telemedical intervention? No. Instead, all individual technologies differed to varying degrees. The analysis underscored the diversity of DiPH interventions among and within intervention groups and highlighted the importance of precise terminology for effective planning and evaluation. Instead of using broad classifications like ‘telemedicine,’ interventions should be defined and communicated based on specific technological functions, non-technical characteristics, use cases, and user groups. This approach will promote cross-disciplinary collaboration and foster international comparability across DiPH systems.

Uptake of Digital Health Interventions for Cardiometabolic Disease in British South Asian Individuals: Think Aloud Study.

Digital health interventions (DHIs) could support prevention and management of cardiometabolic disease. However, those who may benefit most often experience barriers to awareness and adoption of these interventions. Among South Asian individuals, we evaluated user experience of DHIs for prevention and management of cardiometabolic disease, aiming to understand barriers and facilitators to initial and ongoing use. Among South Asian individuals recruited via primary care, community organizations, and snowball methods (n=18), we conducted "think-aloud" interviews using a reflective and reactive approach. Participants included nonusers, as well as those that used a range of DHIs as part of monitoring and improving their health. Participants were asked to think aloud while completing a task they routinely do in a familiar DHI, as well as while setting up and completing a search task in a novel DHI; they were encouraged to behave as if unobserved. Lack of cultural specificity was highlighted as reducing relevance and usability, particularly relating to dietary change. Preferred features reflected individual health beliefs and behaviors, digital skills, and trust in DHIs. For example, tracking blood glucose was considered by some to be positive, while for others it caused distress and anxiety. Similarly, some users found the novel DHI to be extremely simple to set up and use, and others grew frustrated navigating through initial interfaces. Many participants raised concerns about data privacy and needing to agree to terms and conditions that they did not understand. Participants expressed that with information and support from trusted sources, they would be interested in using DHIs as part of self-management. DHIs may support South Asians to prevent and manage cardiometabolic disease, but it is important to consider the needs of specific user groups in DHI development, design, and implementation. Despite motivation to make health changes, digital barriers are common. Cultural appropriateness and trusted sources (such as health care providers and community organizations) have roles in increasing awareness and enabling individuals to access and use DHIs.

Everyday life information seeking: A systematic review with bibliometric analysis

This study presents the first comprehensive systematic review and bibliometric analysis of the Everyday Life Information Seeking (ELIS) research domain, spanning nearly three decades of academic contributions. Initiated by Savolainen’s groundbreaking study in 1995, ELIS research has significantly progressed; however, to date, no researchers have undertaken a thorough overview of this field. Employing a mixed-methods approach, this study combines systematic review techniques with bibliometric analysis, aiming to bridge this gap. The methodology includes rigorous data filtration from the Web of Science and Scopus databases, amassing a total of 345 articles published between 1995 and 2023. Findings indicate a marked increase in ELIS publications and citations, particularly after 2008, underscoring a growing interest in everyday life information seeking. Analysis identified significant contributions from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Finland, and Australia. Thematic analysis unveiled three main research directions: the influence of digital technology on ELIS, information seeking in health scenarios, and diverse information needs and sources among specific user groups. Furthermore this study also proposes an integrative framework, emphasizing the importance of understanding information-seeking behaviors within the complex and diverse context of everyday life. It recognizes the necessity of incorporating various sociocultural perspectives and adapting to the continuously evolving digital environment. This framework serves as a valuable resource for scholars and practitioners dedicated to improving information services and interventions in daily life. The limitations of this study include language and database restrictions, as well as the exclusion of gray literature. Additionally, given the significant potential of integrating information seeking with technology to improve daily life, future research should focus on the foundational theoretical issue of how artificial intelligence technology is reshaping users’ ELIS behaviors.

Toward energy for all? Heterogeneous electricity constellations in Mozambique’s Greater Maputo region

ABSTRACT Debates on urban infrastructures in the global South have suggested that heterogeneous infrastructures may help improve urban electricity access yet also raise equality concerns. However, neither the urban inequalities associated with such electricity access nor how those inequalities play out in different urban neighbourhoods has been systematically studied. To better understand how electricity access develops in the context of heterogeneity, we examine five urban neighbourhood types in Mozambique’s Greater Maputo region, where heterogeneous electricity constellations provide some access to critical services yet have been unable to advance equal access to electricity. Connectivity is increasing at city level, but affordability and reliability are compromised in some neighbourhoods, and negative health, safety, and environmental impacts are observed in others. To accelerate equal electricity access throughout the city more attention must be paid to reducing trade-offs between different access dimensions that affect specific user groups in different settlements.

Between Public Guidelines for User Involvement and Ideals About Free Research: Using Collaborative Autoethnography to Explore Researcher Experiences From a User Involvement Process.

User participation is a prerequisite for receiving research funding in healthcare in Norway. Despite many positive benefits, studies report challenges from users' and researchers' perspectives. Limited knowledge exists concerning researchers' experiences in scenarios where the users are professionals within healthcare and research. The aim of this retrospective study was to explore and reflect on personal experiences as researchers from a process of planning and developing research questions for a PhD project, following the James Lind Alliance guidelines, which were a requirement for funding. We focused on how the process of collaboration with a specific group of users influenced the researchers' sense of selves. We used a qualitative design based on collaborative autoethnography, exploring personal experiences from a sociocultural point of view. Two of the three researchers in the team recollected their experiences from the user involvement process while applying the James Lind Alliance guidelines. We used different data sources to develop two autoethnographic narratives. The narratives were analysed using thematic analysis. The autoethnographic narratives demonstrate the complexity of user involvement from the researchers' perspectives. We identified four themes in the analysis: intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, competing paradigms, hierarchy and dual roles. The accounts illustrated the researchers' ambivalence within the process, indicating that they feared a loss of control over the direction of the research project. The narratives visualised a struggle to appear as credible researchers, illustrating how the involvement of a specific group of users and adherence to a specific guideline for user involvement influenced the researchers' experiences of their roles and identities in the collaboration. The results point to the relevance of the sociocultural backdrop; researchers might become frontline providers of policy implementation in research, balancing tensions between regulatory constraints, user involvement and researchers' professional identity and research ideals, when a specific, detailed procedure for user involvement is required. Two user panels comprising participants from clinical practice, education and research, along with a service user, collaborated in the planning and development of research questions for a PhD project. This autoethnographic study elaborates this process.

Personal Goals, User Engagement, and Meal Adherence within a Personalised AI-Based Mobile Application for Nutrition and Physical Activity.

Mobile applications have been shown to be an effective and feasible intervention medium for improving healthy food intake in different target groups. As part of the PeRsOnalized nutriTion for hEalthy livINg (PROTEIN) European Union H2020 project, the PROTEIN mobile application was developed as an end-user environment, aiming to facilitate healthier lifestyles through artificial intelligence (AI)-based personalised dietary and physical activity recommendations. Recommendations were generated by an AI advisor for different user groups, combining users' personal information and preferences with a custom knowledge-based system developed by experts to create personalised, evidence-based nutrition and activity plans. The PROTEIN app was piloted across different user groups in five European countries (Belgium, Germany, Greece, Portugal, and the United Kingdom). Data from the PROTEIN app's user database (n = 579) and the PROTEIN end-user questionnaire (n = 446) were analysed using the chi-square test of independence to identify associations between personal goals, meal recommendations, and meal adherence among different gender, age, and user groups. The results indicate that weight loss-related goals are more prevalent, as well as more engaging, across all users. Health- and physical activity-related goals are key for increased meal adherence, with further differentiation evident between age and user groups. Congruency between user groups and their respective goals is also important for increased meal adherence. Our study outcomes, and the overall research framework created by the PROTEIN project, can be used to inform the future development of nutrition mobile applications and enable researchers and application designers/developers to better address personalisation for specific user groups, with a focus on user intent, as well as in-app features.

Empathy design method based on immersive interactive experiential spaces: A case study of Parkinson’s disease in China

It is a common challenge for designers to truly understand users’ behaviours and specific needs for universal design in the healthcare setting. This study proposes a new design method that allows designers to not only consciously understand the special user group, but also design for them in embodied scenarios. It aims to explore the effectiveness of experiential spaces in fostering designers’ empathy, stimulating design creativity, and proposing quality design solutions. Taking Parkinson’s disease (PD) as an example, this study developed the ‘PD Room’, an immersive and interactive experiential space. Participants were allowed to experience story scenarios of Parkinsonian under the development of symptoms from early to late stages. The results proved that the immersive interactive experience space method is an effective tool to assist designers in idea generation and multi-dimensional creativity. We hope that this method can be generalized to support practices of universal design through immersive empathic experiences.

Investigating Older Adults' Use of a Socially Assistive Robot via Time Series Clustering and User Profiling: Descriptive Analysis Study.

The aging population and the shortage of geriatric care workers are major global concerns. Socially assistive robots (SARs) have the potential to address these issues, but developing SARs for various types of users is still in its infancy. This study aims to examine the characteristics and use patterns of SARs. This study analyzed log data from 64 older adults who used a SAR called Hyodol for 60 days to understand use patterns and their relationship with user characteristics. Data on user interactions, robot-assisted content use, demographics, physical and mental health, and lifestyle were collected. Time series clustering was used to group users based on use patterns, followed by profiling analysis to relate these patterns to user characteristics. Overall, 4 time series clusters were created based on use patterns: helpers, friends, short-term users, and long-term users. Time series and profiling analyses revealed distinct patterns for each group. We found that older adults use SARs differently based on factors beyond demographics and health. This study demonstrates a data-driven approach to understanding user needs, and the findings can help tailor SAR interventions for specific user groups. This study extends our understanding of the factors associated with the long-term use of SARs for geriatric care and makes methodological contributions.

Mobile App Prototype Supporting People With Special Needs

The article analyses current mobile applications designed for people with special needs. They are aimed at improving routine daily activities and services non-disabled users would not experience significant difficulties. The purpose of the article is to develop and promote a mobile application for people with impaired vision or hearing. In this paper, a mobile application prototype has been designed and developed that would also be useful for anyone wishing to learn sign language. It is compatible with both Android and iOS operating systems. The methodology involves conducting preliminary research and interviews with potential clients. A survey on current mobile applications in the targeted area has been carried out. Functionalities offered by the prototype ensure that the needs and requirements of 'different' users are largely met. As for non-disabled users, the app has the potential to enhance their communication with those specific user groups.

Understanding the barriers and facilitators of urban greenway use among older and disadvantaged adults: A mixed-methods study in Québec city

Urban greenways are multipurpose and multi-user trails that provide a range of socio-ecological and health benefits, including active transportation, social interactions, and increased well-being. However, despite their numerous benefits, barriers exist that limit urban greenway access and use, particularly among older and disadvantaged adults. This study addresses a significant research gap by examining the nuanced factors that influence the choices and experiences of these specific user groups in Québec City, Canada. We use a mixed-methods’ approach to explore the facilitators of and barriers to access and use of two urban greenway trails among older and disadvantaged adults. Our methods included a greenway user count, 96 observation time slots, and 15 semi-structured user interviews. The results revealed significant use of greenway trails by older adults for afternoon walks in both seasons studied (autumn and winter). We also observed variations in use patterns, such as higher levels of solitary walking, reduced levels of winter cycling, and the impracticality of the secondary greenway trail owing to snow conditions. In addition, the findings revealed a wide range of factors that influence greenway access and use, categorized as individual or personal, physical or built environment, social environment, and meteorological or climatic dimensions. Future research can build on these insights to design and assess interventions that capitalize on the facilitators and address any barriers, enhancing the value of urban greenways for older and disadvantaged adults.

Cryptocurrency’s emergence in North Cyprus: a mixed-methods exploration of attitudes and usage trends of an emerging payment method

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate offline retailers’ cryptocurrency adoption through the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT/2), technology acceptance model (TAM) and other related variables.Design/methodology/approachA mixed-method (QUANT-Qual) was employed. The study employed a quantitative approach (partial least squares-structural equation modeling) for Study 1 and a qualitative focus group discussion for Study 2. The qualitative segment enhances the comprehension and interpretation of outcomes derived from the quantitative analysis.FindingsStudy 1 identified six crucial factors in cryptocurrency adoption: trust, personal innovation, hedonic motivation, social influence, safety and a positive attitude. Perceived ease of use, price value and satisfaction were non-significant. Study 2 elaborates on the findings, and highlights the reasons for the insignificant factors.Research limitations/implicationsThis research contributes to theoretical knowledge by empirically testing established technology acceptance theories like UTAUT/2 and TAM in the context of retail cryptocurrency adoption. It introduces previously unexplored factors, such as personal innovativeness, hedonic motivation and safety/reliability, enriching the theoretical landscape.Practical implicationsThis study provides practical insights for cryptocurrency stakeholders, including government, regulators, consumers, businesses and the financial sector, regarding retailers' intentions to adopt cryptocurrencies in North Cyprus.Social implicationsThis study can enhance understanding of factors facilitating cryptocurrency integration into mainstream retail, potentially reshaping traditional finance. Economically, adoption can boost financial inclusion, offering efficient transaction methods. This transition may disrupt existing economic models, drive payment technology innovation and change consumer behavior toward digital assets.Originality/valueThis study stands out by using a mixed-method approach to comprehensively examine cryptocurrency adoption by offline retailers, considering various factors and providing a holistic perspective, unlike previous research that often focused on specific user groups.

From collections to connections in libraries, archives and museums: Do theories meet practice?

Libraries, archives and museums are primarily seen as institutions that preserve and promote collections. However, ongoing social changes are causing them to increasingly focus on their social partners and the relationships that can be established with them. The evolving nature of these institutions’ priorities raises questions about how they are adapting to this shift and its impact on their operations. The objective of this research is to contribute to the conceptualization of the paradigm shift through verification of how selected social and cultural theories of social relations are reflected in the activities of libraries, archives and museums, as well as their connections with various partners. A content analysis of articles from three journals indicates that the relation-centric theories studied, and the concepts presented therein, are taken into account by their authors, albeit to varying degrees. The relationships of libraries, archives and museums primarily concern local communities and special user groups, but also involve other legal or individual entities, as well as the professional community.

Efficient Clothing Fashion Prediction using Machine Learning

Fashion trend forecasting is a crucial task for both academia and industry. Although some efforts have been devoted to tackling this challenging task, they only studied limited fashion elements with highly seasonal or simple patterns, which could hardly reveal the real fashion trends. Towards insightful fashion trend forecasting, this work focuses on investigating fine-grained fashion element trends for specific user groups. We first contribute a large-scale fashion trend dataset (FIT) collected from social media with extracted time series fashion element records and user information. Furthermore, to effectively model the time series data of fashion elements with rather complex patterns, we propose a Machine Learning which takes advantage of the capability in modeling time series data. Moreover, it leverages internal and external knowledge in fashion domain that affects the time-series patterns of fashion element trends. Such incorporation of domain knowledge further enhances the deep learning model in capturing the patterns of specific fashion elements and predicting the future trends. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed ML model can effectively capture the complicated patterns of objective fashion elements, therefore making preferable fashion trend forecast.

Fostering Artificial Intelligence-based supports for informal caregivers: a systematic review of the literature

Informal or unpaid caregivers, commonly known as family caregivers, are responsible for providing the 80% of long-term care in Europe, which constitutes a significant portion of health and social care services offered to elderly or disabled individuals. However, the demand for informal care among the elderly is expected to outnumber available supply by 2060. The increasing decline in the caregiver-to-patient ratio is expected to lead to a substantial expansion in the integration of intelligent assistance within general care. The aim of this systematic review was to thoroughly investigate the most recent advancements in AI-enabled technologies, as well as those encompassed within the broader category of assistive technology (AT), which are designed with the primary or secondary goal to assist informal carers. The review sought to identify the specific needs that these technologies fulfill in the caregiver’s activities related to the care of older individuals, the identification of caregivers’ needs domains that are currently neglected by the existing AI-supporting technologies and ATs, as well as shedding light on the informal caregiver groups that are primarily targeted by those currently available. Three databases (Scopus, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Libraries) were searched. The search yielded 1002 articles, with 24 articles that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Our results showed that AI-powered technologies significantly facilitate ambient assisted living (AAL) applications, wherein the integration of home sensors serves to improve remote monitoring for informal caregivers. Additionally, AI solutions contribute to improve care coordination between formal and informal caregivers, that could lead to advanced telehealth assistance. However, limited research on assistive technologies like robots and mHealth apps suggests further exploration. Future AI-based solutions and assistive technologies (ATs) may benefit from a more targeted approach to appeasing specific user groups based on their informal care type. Potential areas for future research also include the integration of novel methodological approaches to improve the screening process of conventional systematic reviews through the automation of tasks using AI-powered technologies based on active learning approach.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PROFILE OF TRIBAL MAIZE GROWERS AND THEIR INFORMATION MANAGEMENT BEHAVIOUR

The key component for societal advancement today is information. Everyday living depends on having access to information. There are many different places where information can be retrieved or obtained. Farmers constitute a particular group of users whose information needs are very specific. The present investigation was carried out in the Panchamahals district of Gujarat state with a specific objective to study Relationship between profile of tribal maize growers and their information management behaviour in Panchmahals District. Panchmahals district comprises 7 talukas out of these, four talukas viz, Godhra, Morva hadaf, Shahera and Kalol were selected considering the maximum tribal population. From each taluka, five villages and from each village ten tribal maize growers were selected randomly for the study. Hence, a total of 200 tribal maize growers were selected and interviewed. The data were collected through the personal interview method. From the above results, it can be concluded that More than half (52.50 per cent) tribal maize growers belong to middle age group, secondary to primary level of education (58.00 per cent), Slightly less than one-third (32.50 per cent) of tribal maize growers had experience up to nine to twelve years, Majority (72.50 per cent) of tribal maize growers had membership in more than one organization and membership in one organization, More than three-fifth of the tribal maize growers were medium to high level of extension contact (61.50 per cent), medium to high mass media exposure (65.00 per cent), marginal to small size of land holding (66.00 per cent). Education, Social participation, Extension contact and Mass media contact had positive and highly significant relationships with Information management behaviour. Age had a negative and highly significant relationship with Information management behaviour, whereas land holding and experience in maize cultivation had a positive and non-significant relationship with information management behaviour.

Strategic Adoption: Unveiling the Impact of E-BUPOT Application in Government Agencies

<span lang="EN-US">The e-Bupot application for government agencies is an information technology solution provided by the Directorate General of Taxes (DJP). Specifically designed for government agencies, this application aims to simplify the fulfillment of tax obligations and enhance overall convenience. Despite being in use for over a year, there is a noticeable research gap focusing on the acceptance and satisfaction levels among users of the e-Bupot application. Therefore, additional research is imperative to assess taxpayer acceptance and understand its role in bolstering taxpayer compliance.The research was conducted across all government agencies in Bali province, Indonesia. It integrates the Meta-UTAUT model along with the ISS Model to analyze information technology acceptance. Adopting a quantitative approach, the sampling technique used in this research was purposive, with the survey completed by 172 respondents. Data analysis for this research utilized the PLS method with SmartPLS version 3 software.Based on the analysis results, effort expectancy, information quality, service quality, system quality, attitude, trust, and behavioral intention are identified as factors that encourage use behavior in utilizing the e-Bupot application, ultimately influencing tax compliance. Future studies are recommended to explore and detail specific aspects of social influence and facilitating conditions in different contexts or among specific user groups</span>

Don’t Go for Different! Developing Specialized Information Services for Researchers from Distinct Subject Areas

Digital library services are frequently designed for specific user groups with very specific usage needs. This article presents a qualitative comparative analysis of findings derived from six user and usability studies in four different specialized subject information services. Rather than postulating hypotheses regarding variations in needs and behaviors among user groups, this article explores similarities among researchers’ requirements for specialized information service portals. The findings suggest that distinct subject areas may no longer require separate information systems tailored to each field’s specific needs. With the rise of interdisciplinary research, researchers increasingly favor the adoption of a unified system or multiple systems with consistent operation.

Unraveling the root causes of faults in mobile communications: A comparative analysis of different model explainability techniques

The escalating demand and complexity of monitoring services handled by Network Operations Centers (NOCs) have led Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to prioritize automated solutions for network fault detection and diagnosis. Consequently, various Machine Learning (ML)-based Root Cause Analysis (RCA) systems have been developed, however their lack of explainability poses a challenge due to the predominantly black-box nature of ML models. This paper addresses this issue by presenting a supervised clustering methodology capable of integrating both glass-box and black-box models, the latter complemented by post-hoc explainability techniques. While black-box models excel in predictive capabilities, necessitating post-hoc techniques for explainability, glass-box models prioritize transparent decision-making, fostering a clearer understanding of the model’s behavior. This work delineates a methodology for performing RCA of faults in the User Downlink (DL) Average Throughput Key Performance Indicator (KPI), simultaneously comparing the performance of black-box models (Light Gradient-Boosting Machine (LightGBM) and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost)) with glass-box models (Logistic Regression (LR) and Explainable Boosting Machine (EBM)). Results revealed that the LightGBM black-box algorithm coupled with the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method demonstrated superior performance in fault detection and diagnosis, without compromising the overall explainability. Consequently, it was possible to identify faults related to radio conditions, low network usage in specific user groups, low network capacity, and mobility issues. The paper concludes with practical mitigation strategies for each identified fault cluster.

Cybersecurity Knowledge Deterioration and the role of Gamification Intervention

Cybersecurity is becoming an overly critical issue in contemporary times. Cyberspace safety is declining, and this covers all categories of persons, businesses, institutions, and even the government. Deterioration in cybersecurity knowledge and awareness has led people to become easy prey/victims of cybercrime. The more novel security systems are being developed, the higher the cyberattacks as hackers, scammers, and cybercriminals are innovative in their techniques to attack cyber-users. It is therefore paramount to investigate the stance of cybersecurity knowledge among the general IT (Information Technology) users, especially in the 21st century. This paper designed a cybersecurity quiz based on adaptations from literature and past cybersecurity quizzes and conducted investigations to test the knowledge of random cyber-users via the cybersecurity quiz. Results from investigations are quite surprising and instructive, thus serving as a propelling motivation to develop a cybersecurity game. Among the 10-questionnaire cybersecurity quiz, it was discovered that most cyber-users lack knowledge about network security. Also, the question on social engineering was not well performed by the respondents. Thus, it is important for upcoming innovations to take into consideration the aspects of network security, social engineering when designing cybersecurity gamification approaches. Gamification has been used as teaching aids for diverse learning fields, however the use of games in cybersecurity is still understudied. Thus, the result of this quiz is intended to be used to further boost the development of a cybersecurity game, which can be age centric, thus developing cybersecurity games that will be suitable for specific user groups. Interestingly, though females were not regular game players, however they were highly interested in playing a cybersecurity game, as majority of cyber-users (males inclusive), believed that a cybersecurity knowledge gamification approach can help enhance their cybersecurity knowledge and awareness. Conclusively, it is obvious that both the young and old still lack basic cybersecurity knowledge, thereby making them easy prey for cyberattacks. Gamification if applied properly into cybersecurity, could be an interactive learning platform that is both enjoyable, produces a high spirit of learning as well as help serve as a strong awareness tool that can boost cybersecurity user’s knowledge.