Information sources of agricultural extension specialists in Indonesia

Paul Mundy, PhD dissertation (mass communications), 1992, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Contents

Chapter	Click link below for full text (PDF format)
	Abstract
	Front matter 34 kb
1	Introduction 15 kb
2	Research-extension linkages: Approaches and concepts 42 kb
3	Agricultural extension in Indonesia 262 kb
4	Agricultural research in Indonesia 132 kb
5	Information flows and their causes 95 kb
6	Methods 59 kb
7	Specialists' extension activities 380 kb
8	Specialists' information sources and needs 81 kb
9	Factors influencing information flow 192 kb
10	Combined effect of factors on information flows 53 kb
11	Toward improved links 67 kb
	References 61 kb
Appendix
1	Information Sources questionnaire 81 kb
2	English translation of Information Sources questionnaire 20 kb
3	Publications questionnaire 67 kb
4	English translation of Publications Questionnaire 19 kb
5	Response frequencies from Information Sources questionnaire 86 kb
6	Response frequencies from Publications Questionnaire 79 kb
	Complete dissertation, zipped 1324 kb

Summary

Aims of the study

This study aimed to discover:

• Where do Indonesian agricultural extension subject-matter specialists (SMSs) obtain technical information?
• Why do they use certain sources?
• How important are research-extension linkages relative to other problems facing extension?
• How quickly do research-derived technologies spread among SMSs?
• What are the SMSs' unmet information needs?

Where do SMSs get information?

Why do they use these sources?

SMSs tend to obtain information from a source if:

There is some evidence that SMSs use a source if:

The source type is important in determining which factors influence the amount of information an SMS obtains from the source.

How important a problem is poor linkages?

Research-extension linkages are an important problem in Indonesia -- second only to the SMSs' mobility.

How quickly do technologies spread?

Information flows are slow: it takes about two years for news about a new technology to reach 50% of the SMSs, and about six years for the news to reach 80%.

What are the unmet information needs?

The main unmet information needs are in:

Study methods

I conducted two nationwide mail surveys of a stratified random sample of livestock and food-crops SMSs working at province and district-level offices and Agricultural Information Centers. Response rates were 72% (valid n = 280)   and 75% (valid n = 165). I also conducted personal interviews with 101 SMSs, local extension officials and other persons connected with the Indonesian research and extension systems.