04196nam a2200421 a 450000100080000000500110000800800410001910000170006024501250007726000860020230000100028850000300029852030300032865000260335865000160338465000110340065000120341165000240342365000130344765000150346065000240347565000110349965000270351065000120353765000140354965000150356365000280357865000150360665300110362165300200363265300110365265300170366365300100368065300120369065300230370265300260372565300230375113221082014-01-15       1999    bl uuuu  m   00u1 u    #d1 aCEZAR, I. M.  aA participatory knowledge information system for beef farmers-a case applied to the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.  a[S.l.]: Institute of Ecology an Resource Management, University of Edinburgc1999  a324p.  aCNPGC. Tese de Doutorado.  aThis research is concerned with how farmers' knowledge networks are socially developed, in order to facilitate the development of a conceptual model focusing on the generation and transfer of technology. The conceptual bakground is that farmers' knowledge, goals and objectives should be integrated into a participatory model for the development of an agricultural knowledge information system (AKIS). In order to develop this research focus, two communities of Brazilian beef farmers belonging to different eco-regions were selected as the target social groups. Further, the National Centre for Beef Cattle Research (CNPGC-EMBRAPA) is the linked regional agency for the development of applied technology for beef. The objectives of this research are: (a) to investigate how farmers' information flows are socially developed,  in relation to farm decision-marking; (b) to identify and describe the structure of beef farmers' information systems; (c) to analyse relationships between "farmer" knowledge and CNPGC-EMBRAPA's technologies; (d) to develop a methodological learning approach in order to assess farmers' information demands and to imporove the process of generating and transfering technology. In order to examine the above research issues, a combination of survey (questionaire) and case studeis (in-depth interview) was applied to elicit data from a  stratified random sample of the farmer population. Six groups of farmers were identified through application of multivariate analysis (factor and cluster) on selected set of ir formation and social variables. In-depth interviews (qualitative data) were carried out with one representative farmer from each group and four nominated "trusted persons", in order to obtain deeper insights into the social construction of the farmers' information network, and to access additional data to permit a more comprehensive testing of the research hypotheses. This research has indicated that each group of farmers develops its own information system. The social construction of the farmers develops its own information system. The social construction of the farmers' develops its own information system. The social construction of the farmers'  information networks presents some common characteristics, but each farmer builds the network on the basis of his/her values, beliefs, education, time preferences, and intensity of using the available sources of information; however, this is always marked by the presence of a "trusted person". Informal communication is preferred among farmers rather than reading to obtain information. The participation of CNPGC-EMBRAPA in the farmers' information networks has been peripheral. Although the farmers are using some of  the developed technologies, the more advanced and wealthy farmers are taking advantage of the overal technologies. A participatory conceptual framework, both o  link the technological innovation to the majority of farmers' needs and, at same the  time, to increase the institutional efficiency, is proposed.  aagricultural research  abeef cattle  aBrazil  afarmers  ainformation systems  aPantanal  atechnology  atechnology transfer  aBovino  aDifusão de Tecnologia  aFazenda  aPecuária  aPecuarista  aSistema de Informação  aTecnologia  aBovine  aBovino de corte  aBrasil  aCampo Grande  aCNPGC  aEmbrapa  aMato Grosso do Sul  aPesquisa agropecuaria  aSystem information