Farmers’ Socioeconomic Characteristics Affecting Their Use of Mobile Phones To

Communicate Agricultural Information In China

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Abstract

Background: Socioeconomic factors are key determinants of the use of mobile phones in accessing agricultural information. The current agricultural sector Is influenced by emerging technological advancements—for instance,  new techniques of farming and production or distribution hare used in modern farming practices. Farmers across the world have become aware of the changes witnessed in agriculture. Therefore, people need to take into consideration the witnessed changes and adjust to integrate them in their agricultural practices. One of the critical areas includes Information Communication Technologies that focus on the dissemination of required information on agriculture to key stakeholders. The most affected stakeholders by the ICTs include the farmers. Some of the common information communication tools that farmers need to understand include the internet, smartphone, televisions, and communications methods such as short message services.

Aims: The current study focuses on the use of the smartphone as an information communication tool. The focus region is China, and especially the rural areas of the country.

Literature: The paper uses theoretical and empirical reviews to understand the socioeconomic factors and the influence of information and communication technologies in accessing agricultural information.

Proposed methodology: The study uses a descriptive research design, and both interviews and surveys are suggested as the methods to gather information.

Outcomes: There are numerous socioeconomic factors identified as critical determinants of the adoption of ICTs in farming across China and other parts of the world. Some of the factors discussed include demographic elements such as age, gender, and income aspects. The differences established in the above elements dictate smartphones’ use and how the rate of adoption can be enhanced in rural China. Further, educational attainment is a key aspect identified as a determinant of modern farming practices’ success. The people with certain knowledge and educational attainment levels were identified as having the willingness to use smartphones and apply agricultural information in their farming practices.

Table of Contents

Abstract 1

Introduction and Context 2

Research Aims & Objectives 5

Research questions 6

Hypotheses 6

Definition of terms 6

Literature Review 7

Theoretical framework 7

Empirical review 9

Methodology Planning 11

Study design 12

Project Plan 12

Risk Assessment, Ethical Issues. 14

Ethics 14

Article Critique 16

Implementation of Method & Analysis Outline 17

Evaluation & Reflection 18

References 20

Farmers’ Socioeconomic Characteristics Affecting Their Use of Mobile Phones To

Communicate Agricultural Information

Introduction and context

In the agricultural sector, alongside other sectors in a country’s economy, information has been established to play a key role. People require information to make significant advances in life. Information is fundamental for human beings’ survival since it contributes to positive transformation in an individual’s state of understanding. Information concept is described as the data typically presented in a comprehensive and ready form to which a particular meaning is attributed within a particular idea for its application (Akinola, 2017). Information on agriculture can be described as any information in relation to agriculture. It includes information piece required to create agricultural practices, including livestock, crop alongside other elements of farming (Akinola, 2017). Further, agricultural information can be perceived as transforming any agricultural information to stakeholders such as government, farmers, researchers, extension officers, community members, and policymakers.

The requirement for information on agriculture is deeply rooted in the desire to enhance the yield from farming activities and the social and economic development of nations. Access to agricultural information is via information provider networks, including agriculture extension officers, veterinary doctors, traders, agricultural experts, and the ministry of agriculture (Brugger, 2011). The accessed information reveals the market prices, availability of fertilizer and pesticides, transport information, and agricultural policies and regulations. The agricultural sector china and other nations worldwide have faced a decrease in the process due to the illiteracy levels, negligence on the part of stakeholders and government, inability to adapt presenting change, and lack of adequate information. The decline is also attributed to the absence of modern technology applied to function as a supplement to local tools in the country. As a result, it contributes to deficiency and stagnancy in the process of agriculture. In agricultural development, regardless of the important role agriculture plays in the development of a country’s economy, agriculture has been established to be yet to function as an engine of growth in the majority of countries across the world. One of the challenges that players in the agricultural sectors face is the low per capita income, particularly among people living in rural China.

The application of Information Communication Tools (ICT) could serve as a tremendous assistance to farmers. The advent of technology helps farmers in that it potentially abate some of the prevailing challenges the farmers’ experience. ICT can achieve this through increased knowledge regarding planning decision-making among farmers and implementing key programs in the agricultural sector. In particular, mobile phones are among the Information Communication Tools that can be applied for person-to-person voice communication (Hoang, 2020). They can also be applied to access information via various services, including Bluetooth, multimedia, text message, internet, and other services. Mobile penetration in China is found to be significantly high. Despite the current slowdown for the regular growth of the market for a number of years, the country remains the leading as the largest market for smartphones in the world. The shipment of smartphones into china in the year 2018 was recorded at 366 million units, representing 27% of smartphones’ overall shipment across the globe. Users of the smartphone in China is expected to attain about 0.78 billion in the year 2020.

Table 1: Number of users of smartphone in China (2017-2023).

The majority of the Chinese population, such as farmers, currently utilize mobile phones for individual or business transactions. The farmers may use these phones to access information relevant in their sector, particularly regarding products, prices, weather forecasts, and transport systems in their country. The acquired information potentially helps farmers primarily on decision making, including the best season and timing to plant, breeding new species, and how and when to harvest their farm produce. For instance, in a study by Jensen (2007) on mobile phone adoption, it revealed that wholesalers and fishermen in South India linked to a dramatic reduction in price dispersion and attaining a near-perfect adherence to the law a single price (Jensen 2007). Farmers’ utilization of mobile phones is found to save costs by providing easy access to information on agriculture. The access of information is attained through regular Communication with traders alongside other partners in farming who play a key role in agriculture processes (Mwalupaso et al., 2019). Access to agricultural information contributes to opening new market opportunities, particularly in circumstances of changing prices in the market. Besides, it helps acquire both pesticide and fertilizer information that allows disease and pest control.

There are multiple ways that mobile phones potentially help in the provision of economic benefits. One of them is that mobile phones potentially enhance the acquisition of and application of information. As a result, it contributes to reducing search costs, improving coordination among agents, and improving the efficiency of the market. The next significance of mobile phones is that they provide to creating new jobs to address the increased demand for mobile-related services (Hoang, 2020). In this way, it offers income-generating opportunities both in urban and rural places. Finally, mobile phones and development projects’ applications possess the ability to facilitate the delivery of agricultural, financial, educational, and health services.

Research Aims & Objectives

General objective

The research’s primary objective and aim are to identify the impact of socio0economic aspects on the use of mobile phones by farmers for agricultural information in China.

Specific objectives

1. Establish the socioeconomic features of farmers in china;
2. Establish the frequency of mobile phone use among farmers for agricultural information in China;
3. Investigate the agricultural information types accessed via mobile phones by farmers in China;
4. Establish the particular purposes for the use of mobile phones among farmers in China;
5. Find out the challenges faced by farmers during their mobile phone use for agricultural information in China and;
6. Determine the relationship between socioeconomic aspects and mobile phones among farmers for agricultural information in China.

Research questions

1. To attain the  above objectives, the questions below are posed:
2. how frequent is mobile phone usage among farmers for agricultural information in China?
3. What are the socioeconomic features of farmers in China?
4. What agricultural information types do farmers access via the use of mobile phones in China?
5. What specific aims do farmers use mobile phones in China?
6. What challenges do farmers experience while using mobile phones for agricultural information in china?

Hypotheses 

1. The socioeconomic features of farmers do not impact the choice of Information and Communications for agricultural information.
2. The application of ICTs impacts the adoption of farming technologies by farmers in China.

Definition of terms

Agriculture: Agriculture is explained as a purpose operation of generating products from controlled utilization of certain animals, plants, alongside other forms. It describes an economic activity that employs resources or inputs. For agriculture to be meaningful, it needs to generate more value that the applied resources.

Communication: It describes conveying, imparting, or exchanging information, ideas, and understanding to develop common knowledge.

Farmers: They include individuals who generate agricultural products from the controlled application of certain animals and plants via resources, including labor, land, human, and physical capital.

Information: Information is the accessible and externalized knowledge channeled to the farmers to make informed decisions regarding their farming activities.

Information Communication Tools: It describes any kind of electronic device that allows access, storage, manipulation, retrieval, and transfer of information in a digital way. Some of the ICTs used in agriculture include televisions, radios, mobile phones, computers, and the internet.

Innovation: Innovation is explained as the practice seen as new by social system members. In agriculture, innovation involves new farming methods, such as new crop varieties with enhanced characteristics, minimum tillage, and new value addition programs.

Literature review

Theoretical framework

The study applied three theories perceived as relevant for the current research. They include the Two-Step Theory of Information flow, the Diffusion of Innovations Theory, and Structuration Theory of Technology.

Two-Step Flow Theory of Information

In the two-step flow information theory, information flow from the sources usually passes via intermediaries before the final consumers receive it. Information and knowledge in agricultural innovation are produced by the institutions of knowledge creation such as universities. It is then passed via the extension of the Ministry of Agriculture staff. Interactions among extension and research staff via forums, including research extension advisory meetings, dictate how the flow of information occurs and how it is conveyed to the final users. The ultimate users of the information include agro-processors, farmers, and marketing agents.

Diffusion of Innovations Theory

According to Rogers (2010), diffusion involves the process in which innovations are communicated through the use of particular channels over time among social system members (Rogers, 2010). The theory defines the communication process of new ideas among the community members over time. The primary focus of the diffusion of innovation model is both on knowledge and awareness, and on change of attitude and the process of decision making that contributes to either adoption or non-adoption of a given innovation. Rogers (2010) also adds that Communication involves the process where partakers develop and share information among themselves to attain common knowledge. In such a case, the channel is regarded as  the means by which a given message moves from

its source to a targeted receiver.

Scholars of the diffusion of innovations theory recognize five elements that dictate innovation’s success. The first factor is the relative advantage of innovation, which describes the degree to which the innovation is seen by its users as better compared to the concept it supersedes. Relative advantage o innovation is measured based on what matters to the users, such as social prestige, economic advantage, satisfaction, or convenience. It is established that the greater the perceived relative advantage of an innovation, the more rapid its adoption rate is. The adoption of ICTs in agriculture compared to traditional communication modes and information dissemination is more advantageous as they allow farmers an opportunity to send and receive various information regarding their farming activities cheaply and faster.

The next aspect includes compatibility with the current practices and values that describe the extent to which innovations are seen as being consistent with the past experiences, values, and needs of potential adopters. A concept incompatible with norms, values, or practices of farmers will be avoided compared to an innovation considered compatible. The third aspect that influences technological diffusion is the simplicity or complexity of the technology, and the ease to use it. It describes the extent to which innovations are seen as challenging to use and understand.

Farmers typically adopt a more rapidly new concept that they consider simpler to understand that they will adopt the concepts that require the development of new understandings and skills. The next aspect includes trialability, described as the extent to which innovations can potentially be experimented on a limited basis. An innovation that is easily experimented is a representation of less uncertainty to the person who takes it into consideration. Farmers usually perceive it easier and more willing to adopt innovation that has been used by farmers in other places.  Lastly, technology is likely to diffuse faster, where users can identify the outcomes. Visible outcomes reduce the level of uncertainty and function as stimulators of peer discussion regarding a new concept.

Structuration Theory of Technology

Structuration Theory of Technology is an examination of how individuals, during their interaction with a given technology, enact structures that function in shaping their application of the technology. The theory is an implication that social structure is due to repeated interactions among institutional rules, human agents, and material resources. Structuration Theory of Technology is applied to understand about how farmers as the human capital via interaction with ICTs and institutionalized rules can overcome the issues pertaining to the current agricultural business. Besides, the theory can be applied in the identification of how social structures play role facilitation or restriction of farmers in utilizing modern technology in agricultural practices.

Empirical review

Various studies from across the globe have assessed the impacts of Information Communication Tools on the performance of farming. Numerous of these studies establish a positive influence of mobile ICTs on the adoption of agricultural technologies among farmers and the corresponding farm performance (Aker & Ksoll, 2016). Through the estimation of an intercountry function of agricultural production, Lio and Liu (2006) established that the application of new Information Communication Tools such as mobile phones and the internet possess a positive influence on agricultural productivity (Hoang, 2020). They associate the cause of ICT, improving the use of modern inputs in agriculture, such as fertilizer and machinery. The use of ICT based market information services (MIS) is found to increase the application of fertilizer and seeds. It also substantially increases both labor and land productivity (Ma et al., 2018). Besides, the ability to acquire information through the use of electrical items such as mobile phones potentially increase technical efficiency in a farm.

Studies also focused on the relationship between mobile Information Communication technologies and market transactions. The majority of these studies establish that mobile ICTs contribute to a positive influence on farmers’ participation in commercial markets. It also influences the prices that farmers receive for their outputs. For instance, Muto and Yamano (2009) established that mobile phone coverage expansion in Uganda contributed to the reduction of marketing costs. Therefore, it tended to bring about market participation among farmers that generate perishable crops, including bananas, especially in remote locations. Zanello (2012) established that receiving information about the market through mobile phones improved participation in the market among rural families in Northern Ghana since the use of mobile phones led to reduced search costs (Hamill, 2017). Nevertheless, it has been established that mobile phones do not seem to be crucial in the determination of marketing decisions among farmers or in determining farm gate prices as a result of the absence of sources of information that potentially provide relevant information to farmers.  In general, it is perceived that farmers typically benefit from mobile Information and Communication Technologies since they are a practical tool that allows access to information regarding the market (Ma et al., 2018).  in turn, market information can help farmers to choose when and where they will sell their products. Famers eventually receive higher prices for the produce they generate.

Mobile ICTs have a significant role in the decisions that farmers make in relation to working off the farm. The studies focus on the relationship between job gain expectations and digital labor market intermediation. The study established that information on the job market shared with jobseekers through short message services function in raising job gain expectations. It further enhances future job status (Ma et al., 2018). Besides, mobile ICTs, including smartphones, typically support labor market participation efficiency and commuting. The positive nexus depicted between mobile Information Communication Technologies and participation in off-farm work is described due to the fact that mobile ICTs usually potentially enhance access to information by farmers regarding job vacancies. It also allows farmers to access online wage payments and improve mutual Communication of the off arm workers and their peers or family members.

The positive influence of mobile phones on marketing, agricultural production, and participation in off-farm work among rural families is an implication that there are considerable potential gains of income from the application of mobile ICTs. It is found that mobile phones produce gains in income through the facilitation of financial transactions, easing the learning process, and management tasks (Ma et al., 2018). It also achieves this through the provision of medical and technical consultation services, strengthening of social networks, and reduction of risk exposure.

Generally, farmers in China and across the globe can apply the potentials revealed in mobile phones to generate income, improve production levels, and gain better access to agricultural information. The use of mobile phones is presented as crucial for the access of information on agriculture, which potentially assists in agricultural operations to have formidable influence in nations (Hoang, 2020). However, the application of these mobile phones is, in most cases, influenced by socioeconomic aspects including age, educational background, income levels, gender, family size, farm experience, and farm size, alongside other elements (Khan et al., 2019). Age is regarded as one of the most significant aspects that dictate the adequate application of mobile phones. According to Jain & Hundal (2007), it is revealed that most of the users of phones representing 625 of the population fall within the age group of between 20-40. The age group between 20-30 represents farmers that potentially depict higher reception to a broader range of mobile phone services (Akinola, 2017).

Gender is also presented as an influencer of mobile use among farmers, where the female genders are perceived as depicting the ability to adopt mobile phone use than male farmers. The trend is explained by the fact that both governments and non-government organizations focus more attention towards women when compared to how they do to the male population during the allocation of resources and granting of credit facilities (Akinola, 2017). According to Kalba (2008), the adoption of particular attributes of technology or alternatives such as postpaid vs. prepaid and fixed vs. mobile connection services relies on the income level of farmers over time (Kalba, 2008). Besides, in relation to income, the earnings of farmers would dictate the type of mobile phones that one can purchase and how the device is used based on the call card amount to buy. It determines the agricultural information rate required. Income rate relies on how farmers find information access via sufficient application of mobile phones. On the other hand, qualifications of education may considerably lead to the use of mobile phones since farmers should possess particular education background level or literacy levels. Education or literacy levels help guide farmers prior to appropriate access to certain functions on mobile phones. This is to say that educated farmers are found to easily learn the use of mobile phones when compared to uneducated persons. As a result, such farmers depict the likelihood of becoming innovative through the use of mobile phones.

While individuals in china enjoy significant access to multiple mobile networks, it is yet to be certain how the utilization of these mobile phones for accessing agricultural information. Besides, it is not certain how the socioeconomic aspects influence their utilization of mobile phones to gain access to agricultural data. As a result, the gap in witnessed on mobile phone usage for accessing agricultural information in China necessitates the need to conduct the current study.

Methodology planning

The decision to make use of a smartphone is not perceived as random since the farm families typically make voluntary decisions about whether to use it or not. Farmers who utilize smartphones are likely to depict systematic differences from those who do not use them. Due to the self-selection issue, there occurs a selection bias. The approach to address the selection bias has been handled by numerous studies that use propensity method during their analysis.

Study design

The study design used in the study includes a descriptive research design. It included interaction with the target farmers in the identified study location. The research involves interviews with the participants to allow the gathering of necessary data.

The sampling technique applied involved a multistage sampling that included choosing the rural areas that depicted the required features of farmers.

Project plan 

The first plan will include an advanced study of the literature on a specific topic. The study will involve looking at relevant materials to include in the current research. A deeper understanding is required to complete the project. Therefore, it is important to identify the key aspects that will facilitate the successful completion of the project. Literature studies help in understanding what past research reveals and the existing gaps in past studies. The gaps identified during the period will be analyzed to see the specific focus areas to improve on.

The next item includes finalizing the research question or problem. The study will be built upon a particular problem. A research problem is developed to be addressed in a given study. To address the research problem, research questions are identified which answer the problem and seek to find solid solutions for the research problem. A proper understanding of the problem allows for the successful development of the paper.

Finding the research design to be used in the methodology section is key. There are numerous research designs to select from with the primary categories as qualitative and quantitative research designs. Design in research may involve correlational, descriptive, experimental, etc. the key focus research design in the current study is descriptive.

The next step during the period is the preparation of the project proposal. A proposal to carry out the primary project. A proposal is a guideline of how the actual research would look like, with the required elements taken into consideration. The period will include reviewing all areas and necessary information useful to develop proper research to be included in the proposal.

The following weeks will involve the writing of the rest of the reaming chapters. The focus will be to generate a complete and final project paper that can be presented for grading. All areas will be rechecked, and proofreading is done to

Risk assessment, ethical issues.

Risk assessment includes a  term applied to define all processes or techniques in which an individual can identify the risk and hazard elements that potentially cause harm. The process is commonly known as hazard identification. It involves the analysis and evaluation of the risks linked to the hazard. In the current research, a risk assessment will include numerous steps. First, it is important to identify the potential risks of the project. This includes the development of a list of all possible risks and the opportunities available for the project. The next step will include establishing the probability, such as the odds of the risks occurring. Further, risk assessment in a project includes determination of the impact risk, especially the negative impact it has on the process of completing the project. S

A structured and formal risk assessment is crucial is serves in maximizing the chances of successful implementation of research. The assessment of risks in a formal approach contributes to minimized or eliminated the adverse impacts of the risk. It helps in providing that the project of full cost and is potentially completed within the defined period. There exists a certain principle that can be used when assessing the risks of a project across different learning institutions.

The common principles to be used in the current study include the understanding that projects should be assessed based on their individual merits. We understand that the current research project is special and has different risks than other projects. The risks cannot be compared to other similar activities in the past since the current risks cannot be known. Therefore, it is hard to manage and merely accept them. The next consideration in the current research includes ensuring a proportionate and appropriate process of risk assessment. The assessment of risks in the project is key as it functions in informing research design to be applied and the costing. The findings of the risk assessment need to be shared with all members of the team. It allows all members to have a better understanding of the risks of the project and ways of addressing them.

Ethics 

It is established that researchers experience numerous ethical requirements when conducting their research. The common ethical requirement could be that they ought to meet institutional, professional, and federal standards required when conducting research, especially with human participants. There are certain considerations that a researcher should exercise, such as discussing intellectual property openly. Conflicts may arise regarding who should credit for authorship. Therefore, the best approach to address any disagreements in the future regarding who needs to get credit and the order of the credit of authorship is to identify and discuss about the concerns at the start of a working relationship. It is expected that faculty advisors should discuss the publication credit with their students, especially before the start of the project and across the research process. A discussion will also include the process taken to publish the authorship of the project. Identifying the issues and ensuring that both students and researchers put the understandings in writing function as a helpful tool to constantly discuss and assess the contributions during the progress of the research. Nevertheless, even the best plans potentially lead to disputes, which in most cases may occur as a result of individuals looking at the same situation in different ways. It is expected that the people who contribute substantively, especially to the conceptualization, design, implementation, analysis, and interpretation of the current research, need to be listed as the authors of the project. In this case, advisors should not expect to be listed as authors in the work of students.

The research should also ensure that it meets the research obligations when the research project has been published. It is important to learn regarding the mistakes that change the research findings’ interpretation. As a result, it is crucial to understand the obligation of a prompt correction of the presenting mistakes in a retraction, correction, or by other approaches.

The next key ethic required to be observed includes following informed consent rules. The project will be performed appropriately to ensure the process of consent guarantees voluntary participation in the research with a full understanding of the relevant benefits and risks of the project. All participants need to be informed regarding the research purpose, the duration of research, and procedures involved. They need to understand the rights of participants, including when to decline participation and withdrawal from the research. Participants should be informed about the anticipated repercussions of participating in the research. Besides, discussing the reasonably foreseeable elements that potentially impact participants willing to take part. They may include discomfort, potential risks, and adverse impacts. It is also important to communicate the prospective benefits f the research and limits of confidentiality. Privacy issues may cut across data coding, disposal, archiving and sharing, and what may necessitate breaking of confidentiality. The incentives for taking part in the research are crucial aspects of research projects that participants need to understand.

Article critique

mobile information and communication technologies, especially smartphones or mobile phones, have witnessed massive spread among the emerging and developing nations. There is continued diffusion of mobile ICTs, leading to increased importance in rural and agricultural development. As a result, diffusion has increased the attention of researchers and policymakers. Studies have been conducted in three primary areas, such as the effect on market transactions, influence on technological adoption and farm performance, and the effect on off-farm work. In the article “Smartphone use and income growth in rural China: empirical results and policy implications,” Ma et al. (2018) examined the use of smartphones and its influence on income growth, especially in rural China. While the article shows the relationship between the increased use of smartphone and income growth among the users, there are also limitations associated with the study. The results regarding income impacts linked to the smartphone and the heterogeneous effects their usage have on both men and women need to be replicated. It should be replicated to other regions and not just within china’s boundaries.

Regardless of the limitations of the study, the findings are found to underscore the necessity to cut down the presenting gender to decide and improving participation in off-farm work among the female gender. It is important to note that further research across china and other regions of the world would function in increasing knowledge regarding the multi-dimensional impacts of the use of smartphones across rural places. Besides, such studies could potentially help in the establishment of policies that back the development of rural regions and react to the divides among genders in farm households.

Ma et al. (2018) used date from a household survey that was conducted in January 2017 from the rural region of China. The authors used a multistage sampling approach that allowed them to select sample households. They also randomly selected around 40-60 farmers across every chosen village totaling 493 farmers. The survey involved a door to door interview.

The authors generated results in terms of the household-level survey data collected from the rural area of China. They used an endogenous switching regression model that showed that gender, education of the farmers, off-farm participation, and farm size as the primary drivers the use of smartphones. The above findings for the study are key socioeconomic aspects that determine how people use Information Communication tools such as mobile phones in accessing agricultural information. The results offer great insights that can be used to understand why people lack access to the necessary agricultural information. The findings are also relevant to educate farmers on better ways of improving agricultural practice through the adoption of modern technology. The article also reveals the relationship between the use of smartphone and income increase and increase of household income. This holds true as increased knowledge of farming activities through the access of agricultural information allows the farmers to better farming techniques. As a result, there will be increased yield and income. Further, the authors have also shown that there are differences in the income impacts between female and male users of the smartphone.

The authors of the article have examined one of the key areas in agriculture that have raised the attention of researchers. The concern in the article includes identifying socioeconomic aspects contributing to the use of smartphones among farmers. The advent of technology has influenced various fields and sectors. The agricultural sector is one of the areas affected by technology. Farmers can improve farm performance if they embrace new technologies. ICTs can help them in accessing the required information. One of the tools that are highly used is the smartphone. However,  most of the farmers have not yet learned the significance of the device.

The sample size of 493 across the rural parts of China is a small size compared to the population size in the country. Therefore, it may not be a representative and a good indicator of the general trend in the country. The information obtained is likely to suffer from misrepresentation. It is important to increase the sample size to ensure a good representation of the entire population.

Implementation of method & analysis outline

the implementation of the current study will include mixed methods such as Interviews and surveys. Interviews are a crucial approach to assembling data from a small group of participants regarding a broad range of study topics. The current research utilizes a structured interview approach in the form of a questionnaire. The same questions are administered across all subjects of the research, and there are multiple choices to be presented for the participants to select from. An interviewer will coordinate the conversation process between the participants. In the current study, the participants are farmers in rural China. The interview will develop questions regarding agricultural practices and the other aspects that influence the aspect. The interviewees are expected to respond to the specific questions.

The use of interviews is an appropriate one in data collection, especially where there is a need to collect comprehensive information on the opinion, experiences, thoughts, and feelings of people. The interviews have sufficient contact time with the interviewee, where they provide all the required information for the study. Besides, the interviewer finds the opportunity to ask the most comprehensive questions. The time specified for the interview ensures that it gives the interviewee to respond to all the questions and seek clarification on areas they do not understand. Further, the choice of interviews is important to the researcher as it allows a high rate of response from the interviewees.

The other approach that helps in the successful completion of the current research involves conducting surveys. Survey research describes a collection of data that is acquired through posing questions either on paper, in person, online, or by phone. The use of a survey is key when assembling the beliefs, opinions, and feelings or a given chosen group f persons. In most cases, the selection is based on demographic sampling. The current study selects participants based on their gender and age to determine the use of smartphones in accessing agricultural information. The questions presented depict the rate of mobile phone use and how they understand its plication, such as internet use. The other categorization in surveys includes the use of income levels in determining how farmers can afford smartphones and access to key information required in their farming activities. The use of surveys is essential, especially when describing the features of a broad population. It is established that the survey method is the only approach that can offer a broad capability, which provides a more accurate sample to assemble the targeted outcomes. The results are used to make deductions and arrive at key decisions.

Evaluation & reflection

The above elements discussed for the dissertation offer a detailed understanding of what needs to be included in the current study to successfully complete the research. The literature review has offered significant insights and the basis for the current topic on socioeconomic factors that affect farmers’ use of ICTs in accessing agricultural information. A literature review is a crucial step in project development as it looks at works done by other researchers and their deductions. The gaps established in the review function in allowing better answering of the current study questions and objectives. It is the backbone of the research paper.

The problem statement offers clear identification of the issue to be discussed and what needs to solved by the current study. It helps give direction on the critical focus areas for the research. By developing a statement of the problem, it has given insights on where the paper will be concentrating and seeking to address the gap identified. A research problem statement serves to introduce the reader to the importance of the topic area under research. The reader is oriented to the study’s significance and the questions to be addressed under the current research. Besides, a problem statement has helped in the development of the hypotheses identified in the current study. This section helps growth in the research field while in school and outside the environment in future study activities. It helps to understand how to identify the research gaps for successful research. As a student, the project helps build research skills and improve academic performance.

Research questions comprise the first phase in a research project and include an inquiry into a particular issue or concern, the questions identified above for the groundwork that the whole project focuses on. If there was an absence of research questions, errors of design would occur, which might be challenging to address or correct. Therefore, identifying research questions has helped in avoiding some of the design errors in the process of the research project. The next aspect of the current research is the specification of the research hypotheses. This is one of the most significant phases in planning scientific research. They have severed in guiding through the provision of direction, pointing to inquiry and allowing the selection of pertinent facts. Besides, they have helped in drawing certain deductions in the current study.

The study also projects the period and activities throughout the learning. A better outline of the activities and tasks to be conducted against their completion period offers a guide to keep track of the progress. A well-laid approach with a specific time dictates the success of the project. All areas are polished well, and improvements made in every stage before a final project is submitted for grading. The set time helps the students work with colleagues and instructors in coming up with a relevant research project. It also allows the student to learn the steps involved in the research.

Conclusion

Socioeconomic factors are key determinants of the use of mobile phones in accessing agricultural information. The current agricultural sector Is influenced by emerging technological advancements—for instance,  new techniques of farming and production or distribution hare used in modern farming practices. Farmers across the world have become aware of the changes witnessed in agriculture. Therefore, it is important for people to take into consideration the witnessed changes and adjust to integrate them in their agricultural practices. One of the key areas includes Information Communication Technologies that focus on the dissemination of required information on agriculture to key stakeholders (Zhang et al., 2016). The most affected stakeholders by the ICTs include the farmers. Some of the common information communication tools that farmers need to understand include the internet, smartphone, televisions, and communications ways such as the use of short message services. The current study focuses on the use of the smartphone as an information communication tool. The focus region is china and especially the rural areas of the country.

China has been presented as among the countries with high smartphone use penetration. The majority of people in the country own mobile phones for communication purposes. Nevertheless, it is established that these people are yet to utilize the devices fully to gain access to agricultural information. Farmers have not yet embraced the need to use their smartphones and how to appropriately use them to search and find useful information that can improve their farming practices. There are numerous socioeconomic factors identified as key determinants of the adoption of ICTs in farming across China and other parts of the world. Some of the factors discussed include demographic elements such as age, gender, and income aspects. The differences established in the above aspects dictate the use of smartphones and how the rate of adoption can be enhanced in rural China. Further, educational attainment is a key aspect identified as a determinant of the success of modern farming practices. The people with certain knowledge and educational attainment levels were identified as having the willingness to use smartphones and apply agricultural information in their farming practices.

References

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