Ranking of rural areas in terms of access to ICT facilities utilizes TOPSIS method

Subject Areas : پژوهش‌های اقتصاد روستا

Adele Esmaeli Dastjerdi Poor ¹ , Mohammad Chizari ² , Mahmood Motavaseli ³ , Hasan Saddighi ⁴

1 - دانشجوی دکتری آموزش و ترویج کشاورزی دانشگاه تربیت مدرس
2 - استاد گروه آموزش و ترویج کشاورزی دانشگاه تربیت مدرس
3 - استاد گروه اقتصاد دانشگاه تهران
4 - دانشیار گروه ترویج و آموزش کشاورزی دانشگاه تربیت مدرس

Received: 2014-11-07 Accepted : 2015-01-14 Published : 2015-01-20

Keywords: Development of Agricultural Sector, Hierarchical Additive Weighting Method, information and communication technology, Rural Areas,

Abstract :

These days, advanced technologies are one of the principle growth and development in countries. Nevertheless, existing digital gap between rural and urban areas is an important concern in communicational technologies developing. Because this gap stops benefit of developing policies and increases gap between rural and urban areas. To achieve equal and comprehensive growth, it is necessary to assessment availability of information and communication facilities and recognition weakness point to do necessary policies for improving. Ranking of rural regions based on access to the facilities would be suitable for this aim. This paper has two aims. First, survey effect of information and communication technology on development of agricultural sector and second, ranking rural areas based on access to information and communication technology facilities by using TOPSIS and Hierarchical Additive Weighting Method. To achieve first aim, an ICT indicator was estimated, and then surveys its effect on agricultural growth function. The results indicated that information and communication technology had significant positive effect Based on the ranking, Tehran, Khorasan-e Razavi and Fars had had the highest access to ICT facilities.