Thai farmers’ information needs and seeking that lead to mobile phone application development for production and marketing promotion
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-06-2017-0051 |
Date | 14 May 2018 |
Pages | 246-259 |
Published date | 14 May 2018 |
Author | Unchasa Seenuankaew,Jurairat Rattichot,Watcharee Phetwong,Bhornchanit Leenaraj |
Subject Matter | Library & information science,Librarianship/library management,Library & information services |
Thai farmers’information needs
and seeking that lead to mobile
phone application development
for production and
marketing promotion
Unchasa Seenuankaew
College of Innovation and Management,
Songkhla Rajabhat University, Songkhla, Thailand
Jurairat Rattichot
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences,
Nakhon Si Thammarat Rajabhat University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand
Watcharee Phetwong
Department of Information System and Business Computer,
Rajamangala University of Technology Suvarnabhumi,
Suphanburi, Thailand, and
Bhornchanit Leenaraj
Department of Library and Information Science, Faculty of Humanities,
Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Abstract
Purpose –The purposoe of this paperwas to study the information needs and information-seekingamong
Thai farmers that lead the development of a mobile phone application for the purpose of production and
marketingpromotion.
Design/methodology/approach –The qualitative research was performed by in-depth interviews,
observations, field notes and content analysis. The 48 primary informants were the best-practice farmers
around SongkhlaLake Basin.
Findings –The results demonstrate the farmers’need for information on the following topics: increasing
production, developing quality, reducing costs, manufacturing products, increasing marketing and sales
channels and changingto short-lived crops. The farmers acquired information directlytargeted to their needs
and behaviors by making inquiries,exchanging ideas and joining study trips and training, whichresulted in
productionand marketing promotion and, hence, higher incomes.
Originality/value –As a result, theirfarming will yield high-quality products, bringingthem more income
and a better standard of living. When the lives of the farmers, who are the majority of the Thailand
population, are improved, the holistic conditions of national economic development will in turn be good,
leading to security,wealth and sustainability.
Keywords Information-seeking, Information behavior, Information need, Mobile phone application,
Production and marketing promotion, Thai Farmers
Paper type Research paper
ILS
119,5/6
246
Received6 June 2017
Revised5 September 2017
Accepted23 September 2017
Informationand Learning Science
Vol.119 No. 5/6, 2018
pp. 246-259
© Emerald Publishing Limited
2398-5348
DOI 10.1108/ILS-06-2017-0051
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