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The e-agriculture research landscape in South Africa : a systematic literature review
Author(s)
Kintoki, Alain Nzuzi
Date Issued
2017
Type
Thesis
Publisher
Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine the current status of e-agriculture research in
the South African context. A systematic literature review was used to gather and analyse
data in alignment with the objective of the study. The researcher used keywords and
combined search keywords on web search engines and digital databases to obtain
pertinent research papers. The scope of the study was limited to the period 2000-2016. The
books, theses, conference papers and journal articles identified as pertinent to conduct the
study, amounted to 114 in number. The analysis of the study described the focus of
research papers, research methods, research approaches, theoretical lenses, units of
analysis and observation, levels of analysis, historical development, and major concepts
and disciplines used by authors in their studies. The study also sought to discover the year
of publication and assessment of searchability of the papers.
The results indicate that 13 papers (11.4%) were published in the first five years (2000-
2004) and 51 papers (44.7%) in the last five years (2012-2016) of the delimited period for
the study. The results of the study further indicate that the application of geographic
information systems (GISs) towards improving agriculture was the most prominent eagriculture
research area in South Africa (27 papers, 23.6%), followed by the use of satellite
enhancing agriculture (26 papers, 22.8%). E-government direct services, mobile in
agriculture, and agricultural information systems were the least prominent e-agriculture
research areas in South Africa with a contribution of two papers (1.8%) each. The results of
this study show that information mapping was the most used research method by
researchers in their studies (57 papers, 50%), followed by the case study method with 31
papers (27.1%). The results further denote that the least used research method was
industry reports with no mention of it in any of the pertinent papers, followed by grounded
theory with two papers (1.7%). Interpretivism was the most used research approach by
researchers (six papers, 5.2%) during the period 2000-2016.
The findings of this study clearly show that researchers still need to address certain issues
or problems regarding e-agriculture in South Africa in order to improve the agricultural
sector. The contribution of the study is to understand the importance of enhancing research
capability and socio-economic transformation of farmworkers and farmers through
enhanced communication of agriculture research knowledge in the area of agricultural
informatics. A foundation for further studies was created for continuous e-agriculture
research in South Africa.
the South African context. A systematic literature review was used to gather and analyse
data in alignment with the objective of the study. The researcher used keywords and
combined search keywords on web search engines and digital databases to obtain
pertinent research papers. The scope of the study was limited to the period 2000-2016. The
books, theses, conference papers and journal articles identified as pertinent to conduct the
study, amounted to 114 in number. The analysis of the study described the focus of
research papers, research methods, research approaches, theoretical lenses, units of
analysis and observation, levels of analysis, historical development, and major concepts
and disciplines used by authors in their studies. The study also sought to discover the year
of publication and assessment of searchability of the papers.
The results indicate that 13 papers (11.4%) were published in the first five years (2000-
2004) and 51 papers (44.7%) in the last five years (2012-2016) of the delimited period for
the study. The results of the study further indicate that the application of geographic
information systems (GISs) towards improving agriculture was the most prominent eagriculture
research area in South Africa (27 papers, 23.6%), followed by the use of satellite
enhancing agriculture (26 papers, 22.8%). E-government direct services, mobile in
agriculture, and agricultural information systems were the least prominent e-agriculture
research areas in South Africa with a contribution of two papers (1.8%) each. The results of
this study show that information mapping was the most used research method by
researchers in their studies (57 papers, 50%), followed by the case study method with 31
papers (27.1%). The results further denote that the least used research method was
industry reports with no mention of it in any of the pertinent papers, followed by grounded
theory with two papers (1.7%). Interpretivism was the most used research approach by
researchers (six papers, 5.2%) during the period 2000-2016.
The findings of this study clearly show that researchers still need to address certain issues
or problems regarding e-agriculture in South Africa in order to improve the agricultural
sector. The contribution of the study is to understand the importance of enhancing research
capability and socio-economic transformation of farmworkers and farmers through
enhanced communication of agriculture research knowledge in the area of agricultural
informatics. A foundation for further studies was created for continuous e-agriculture
research in South Africa.
Additional information
Thesis (MTech (Information Technology))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017.
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