Archive - POP ColumnBack

All articles on public opinion published here are open for free surfing and downloading. The authors of the column articles are responsible for their own writings, while the translators are responsible for their own translations. See our Archive section for column articles issued before 2005.

This article discusses the recent incidents happened in HKU. This article was published by “Chung’s Blunt Words” facebook page and “HKU POP Site”.

This article is the first article that Dr Robert Chung wrote in his newly launched irregular column, “Chung’s Blunt Words”, which discusses exit polling during the 2015 District Council elections. The Chinese version of this article was published by “Chung’s Blunt Words” facebook page, “HKU POP Site”, “Stand News”, “Pentoy” and “Inmeida” on 20 November 2015.

The Chinese version of this article was published by Ming Pao, Viewpoint on 31 August 2015 in response to the letter written by Doctor Wong Yam Hong and the recent incident in the University of Hong Kong.

This article mainly overviews the 2nd stage survey results of 2015 TV Programme Appreciation Index. The Chinese version of this article was published on the website of Media Digest in August, 2015.

This article mainly overviews the 1st stage survey results of 2015 TV Programme Appreciation Index. The Chinese version of this article was published on the website of Media Digest in June, 2015.

This article mainly overviews the overall survey results of 2014 TV Programme Appreciation Index. The Chinese version of this article was published on the website of Media Digest in April, 2015.

This article mainly overviews the 4th stage survey results of 2014 TV Programme Appreciation Index. The Chinese version of this article was published on the website of Media Digest in March, 2015.

This article summarizes the content of a paper presentation made at the panel session of “Electoral Studies” in the ANPOR (Asian Network for Public Opinion Research) Annual Conference 2014 held in Niigata, Japan on 30 November 2014.

This article mainly overviews the 3rd stage survey results of 2014 TV Programme Appreciation Index. The Chinese version of this article was published on the website of Media Digest in December, 2014.

This article mainly overviews the 2nd stage survey results of 2014 TV Programme Appreciation Index. The Chinese version of this article was published on the website of Media Digest in September, 2014.

This article mainly overviews the 1st stage survey results of 2014 TV Programme Appreciation Index. The Chinese version of this article was published on the website of Media Digest in June, 2014.

This article mainly overviews the overall survey results of 2013 TV Programme Appreciation Index. The Chinese version of this article was published on the website of Media Digest in May, 2014.

This article mainly elaborates that people who engage in public opinion research should emphasize on scientific evidence and should not fear of power. The Chinese version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 3 in 2014).

This article mainly overviews the 4th stage survey results of 2013 TV Programme Appreciation Index. The Chinese version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 3 in 2014).

This article mainly describes the design and technical issues of the electronic voting system deployed on January 1, 2014 for the "New Year Civil Referendum" project. The Chinese version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 2 in 2014).

This article mainly overviews the 3rd stage survey results of 2013 TV Programme Appreciation Index. The Chinese version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 12 in 2013).

This article mainly summarizes the latest survey findings on citizens' ratings on media overall credibility, satisfaction rating on freedom of the press as well as performance ratings on television as a form of news media. The Chinese version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 11 in 2013).

This article mainly overviews the 2nd stage survey results of 2013 TV Programme Appreciation Index. The Chinese version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 9 in 2013).

This article summarizes the content of a paper presentation made at the panel session of “Issues in Democracy” in the WAPOR (World Association for Public Opinion Research) 66th Annual Conference held in Boston, USA, in mid-May 2013. The English version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 8 in 2013).

This article summarizes the content of a paper presentation made at the panel session of “Media and Politics” in the WAPOR (World Association for Public Opinion Research) 66th Annual Conference held in Boston, USA, in mid-May 2013. The English version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 7 in 2013).

This article summarizes the content of a paper presentation made at the panel session of “Media and Politics” in the WAPOR (World Association for Public Opinion Research) 66th Annual Conference held in Boston, USA, in mid-May 2013. The English version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 6 in 2013).

This article summarizes the primary development of the deliberative polling system and culture in Hong Kong cultivated through a series of “Deliberative Series” activities such as Deliberative polling, “Voices from the hall” and “Occupy Central with Love and Peace” held by HKUPOP since 2009. This article was published in Media Digest (Volume 6 in 2013).

This article mainly overviews the 1st stage survey results of 2013 TV Programme Appreciation Index. This article was published in Media Digest (Volume 6 in 2013).

This article mainly overviews the overall survey results of 2012 TV Programme Appreciation Index. This article was published in Media Digest (Volume 4 in 2013).

This article mainly overviews the 4th stage survey results of 2012 TV Programme Appreciation Index. The Chinese version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 3 in 2013).

This article summarizes five presentations made at the panel session “Media and Politics” in the WAPOR (World Association for Public Opinion Research) 65th Annual Conference held in Hong Kong on 15 June 2012. The English version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 3 in 2013).

This article mainly summarizes the establishment of PSI, its usage and future development. The Chinese version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 2 in 2013)

This article summarizes the logic and flaws of "six-four split" and "zero audience" in television audience studies. The Chinese version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 1 in 2013)

This article summarizes four presentations made at the panel session “Media Effects, Agenda Setting, Framing and Priming” in the WAPOR (World Association for Public Opinion Research) 65th Annual Conference held in Hong Kong on 16 June 2012. The English version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 1 in 2013).

This article mainly summarizes the process of the establishment of ANPOR, its future development and its implications. The Chinese version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 12 in 2012)

This article mainly overview the 3rd stage survey results of 2012 TV Programme Appreciation Index. The Chinese version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 12 in 2012).

This article explains the accuracy of POP exit polls, and compares the final results of POP 2012 Legislative Council exit polls with actual election results. The Chinese version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 11 in 2012).

This article explains the accuracy of POP rolling polls, and compares the final results of POP 2012 Legislative Council rolling polls with actual election results. The Chinese version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 9 in 2012).

This article mainly summarizes one of the presentations at the special panel session “Exit Polling in the 21st Century: A Perspective from the USA” of AAPOR (American Association of Public Opinion Research), the sister organization of WAPOR (World Association for Public Opinion Research), at the 65th annual conference of WAPOR held in Hong Kong on 15 June 2012. The English version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 9 in 2012).

This article explains the accuracy of rolling surveys of LC election and makes comparison with the results of 2004, 2008 and 2012. The Chinese version of this article was published in Ming Pao newpaper (7 September 2012).

This article mainly overview the 2nd stage survey results of 2012 TV Programme Appreciation Index. The Chinese version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 9 in 2012).

This article is written by Robert Ting-Yiu Chung, Director of Public Opinion Programme, HKU, for "Letter to Hong Kong" produced by the Public Affairs Unit of Radio Television Hong Kong. It mainly touches on the meanings of conducting exit polls for the Legislative Council election of September 9, 2012. The audio version of the article was broadcast by RTHK in its programme "Letter to Hong Kong" on September 1, 2012.

This article mainly summarizes three presentations at the special panel session “Exit Polling in the 21st Century: A Perspective from the USA” of AAPOR (American Association of Public Opinion Research), the sister organization of WAPOR (World Association for Public Opinion Research), at the 65th annual conference of WAPOR held in Hong Kong on 15 June 2012. The English version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 8 in 2012).

This article explains the latest development of exit polling and comments on the latest changes made by the Electoral Affairs Commission on "Guidelines on Election-related Activities in Respect of the Legislative Council Election”.The Chinese version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 8 in 2012).

This article provides an overview of the “65th annual conference of the World Association for Public Opinion Research”(WAPOR) held in Hong Kong in June 2012 and discusses its historical significance in the field of public opinion research.  The Chinese version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 7 in 2012)

This article discusses the controversies surrounding the method of POP’s July 1 Rally headcount in 2012. The Chinese version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 7 in 2012)

This article mainly overview the 1st stage survey results of 2012 TV Programme Appreciation Index. The Chinese version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 6 in 2012).

This article mainly discusses the code of practice of exit polls. The article was distributed to all press media, and has been uploaded to PopCon ( http://popcon.hk ).

This article mainly discusses the code of practice of exit polls. The article was distributed to all press media, and has been uploaded to PopCon ( http://popcon.hk ).

This article mainly discusses the debate over the survey of Hong Kong people’s ethnic identity. The article was distributed to all press media, and has been uploaded to PopCon ( http://popcon.hk ).

This article mainly discusses the debate over the survey of Hong Kong people’s ethnic identity. The article was distributed to all press media, and has been uploaded to PopCon ( http://popcon.hk ).

This article mainly overviews the difference of popularity survey of CE-elect separately conducted by HKUPOP and the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, CUHK. The article was distributed to all press media, and has been uploaded to PopCon ( http://popcon.hk ).

This article mainly overviews the “65th annual conference of the World Association for Public Opinion Research” (WAPOR) will be held in Hong Kong for the first time. The article was distributed to all press media, and has been uploaded to PopCon ( http://popcon.hk ).

This article mainly overview the 4th stage survey results and overall results of the whole year of 2011 TV Programme Appreciation Index. The Chinese version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 3 in 2012).

This article mainly overview the 3rd stage survey results of 2011 TV Programme Appreciation Index. The Chinese version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 12 in 2011)

This article is written by Robert Ting-Yiu Chung, Director of Public Opinion Programme, HKU, for "Letter to Hong Kong" produced by the Public Affairs Unit of Radio Television Hong Kong. It mainly touches on the meanings of anybody's participation of 2012 CE election, as well as upcoming research studies related to CE election. The audio version of the article was broadcast by RTHK in its programme "Letter to Hong Kong" on December 3, 2011.

This article mainly overview the 2nd stage survey results of 2011 TV Programme Appreciation Index. The Chinese version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 9 in 2011).

The Chinese version of this article was published in Ming Pao on June 30 and July 1, 2011, with titles 「Anti-June 4 Remembering Discourse and Reinforcement of June 4 Collective Memory」 and 「Passing On June 4 Collective Memory」 respectively. Mainly through analyzing the results of the on-site survey of June Fourth Candlelight Vigil, the article acknowledges the background and demands of participants.

The Chinese version of this article was published in Ming Pao on June 30 and July 1, 2011, with titles 「Anti-June 4 Remembering Discourse and Reinforcement of June 4 Collective Memory」 and 「Passing On June 4 Collective Memory」 respectively. Mainly through analyzing the results of the on-site survey of June Fourth Candlelight Vigil, the article acknowledges the background and demands of participants.

This article mainly overview the 1st stage survey results of 2011 TV Programme Appreciation Index. The Chinese version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 6 in 2011).

This article mainly explains the idea and the algorithmic process of QMI. Through exploring its special characteristics of counting on both quality and quantity, this article also reveals the application method and the respective applicable arena of QMI. The Chinese version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 3 in 2011).

This article mainly overview the 4th stage survey results and overall results of the whole year of 2010 TV Programme Appreciation Index. The Chinese version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 3 in 2011).

The Justice and Peace Commission of the HK Catholic Diocese (HKJP) invited the author to write an article to discuss the meaning of referendum movement. Thus, the author consolidated his speech given in a forum at The Chinese University of Hong Kong on March 4, 2010, and shared with readers. The Chinese version of this article was published in the HKJP Newsletter (Volume 5 in 2010).

The Government published a consultation document on RTHK's future development in 2009. The author attended a LegCo meeting and expressed his views on public broadcasting service and the future of RTHK. Here is the written article. The Chinese version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 12 in 2009).

This article is written by Robert Ting-Yiu Chung, Director of Public Opinion Programme, HKU, for "Letter to Hong Kong" produced by the Public Affairs Unit of Radio Television Hong Kong. It mainly touches on the popularity figures of CE and their implications on governance. The audio version of the article was broadcast by RTHK in its programme "Letter to Hong Kong" on November 7, 2009.

The Chinese version of this article was published in Ming Pao on July 15 and 16, 2009, with titles 'The highest common factor of the voices of July 1st Rally' and 'Where does the new energy of July 1st Rally come from' respectively. Mainly through analyzing the results of the on-site survey of July 1st Rally in 2009, the article acknowledges the background and demands of participants, and compares with the characteristics of those found in the past July 1st rallies.

This article investigates the argument of the headcount results of rallies since 2003, through the discrepancy of results from the hosting organization, police and academic organization, to emphasize the importance of scientific counting. The Chinese version of this article was published in the Hong Kong Economic Journal on July 14, 2009.

This article discusses the argument of the headcount results of rallies and assemblies from the view of methodology, and briefly introduces our operational experience and opinion in the past few years. The Chinese version of this article was published in Chinese Election Research Society's The Journal of Election Review (Volume 7) and Media Digest (Volume 7 in 2009).

This is the final article in the "exit poll" series written for Media Digest of RTHK. It comments on an exit poll seminar held by The City University of Hong Kong after the LegCo election, and shares the views on future development of exit poll. The Chinese version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 3 in 2009).

This is the fourth article in the "exit poll" series written for Media Digest of RTHK. It comments on the descriptions related to exit polls and election engineering in the "2008 Legislative Election Report" by Election Affairs Committee. The Chinese version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 1 in 2009).

This is the third article in the "exit poll" series written for Media Digest of RTHK. As the United States Presidential Election just took place, the author shared the experience of conducting exit poll there. The Chinese version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 11 in 2008).

This is the second article in the "exit poll" series written for Media Digest of RTHK. It shares the foreign experiences of conducting exit poll, and comments on the public criticism towards the professional ethics of local media. The Chinese version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 10 in 2008).

This is the first article in the "exit poll" series written for Media Digest of RTHK. It comments on the professional ethics of exit polls and that of local media. The Chinese version of this article was published in Media Digest (Volume 9 in 2008).

This is the full text of the written representation submitted to the Electoral Affairs Commission (EAC) on April 10, 2008, by Robert Ting-Yiu Chung, Director of Public Opinion Programme, on the proposed changes to the guidelines on exit polls under Chapter 15 of the Proposed Guidelines on Election-related Activities in respect of the Legislative Council Election, in response to the public call of EAC. In the afternoon of the same day, Robert Chung made an oral presentation in the public forum held at the EAC Conference Room, 10/F Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong.

This article is written by Robert Ting-Yiu Chung, Director of Public Opinion Programme, HKU, for "Letter to Hong Kong" produced by the Public Affairs Unit of Radio Television Hong Kong. It mainly touches on the ethics of conducting exit polls in Hong Kong. The audio version of the article was broadcast by RTHK in its programme "Letter to Hong Kong" on April 5, 2008.

This is the third article in a series of articles on "Legislative Council By-election Rolling Survey". Using feature questions riding on the Legislative Council by-election rolling survey, it explained the other functions of rolling surveys, on top of monitoring the support rates of candidates and the projection of election results.

This is the second article in a series of articles on "Legislative Council By-election Rolling Survey". Based on findings obtained from the Legislative Council by-election rolling survey, in relation to voters' political alignment, the article addresses the issues of daily sample size and the length of rolling period..

This is the first article in a series of articles on "Legislative Council By-election Rolling Survey". Other than mentioning some common misunderstandings about rolling surveys, it also revealed two interesting finding of the rolling survey, namely, the difference between using raw and weighted data, and findings on election forum effects based on ad hoc questions which rode on the rolling survey.

Robert Chung, Director of HKUPOP, in cooperation with the eight media for the CE Election Forum on March 15, 2007, randomly selected 100 to 120 people as public audience from the Hong Kong population. This article reports the progress and some useful information of the related work. The Chinese version of the article was also published in the Hong Kong Economic Journal (abridged version) on March 15, 2007.

Robert Chung, Director of HKUPOP, in cooperation with the eight media for the CE Election Forum on March 15, 2007, randomly selected 100 to 120 people as public audience from the Hong Kong population. This article includes the details of the related selection method. The Chinese version of the article was published in the Hong Kong Economic Journal (abridged version) on 10 March 2007.

The article was published in Oriental Daily News in two parts from April 22 to 23, 2006, with respective titles of "Self-proclaimed Parties Incompetent" and "Too Pragmatic, Little Research". The article suggested three dimensions, namely, people's support, political strength and development potentials, to analyze the strengths of local political parties. The author focused on the research published in their websites, and found that they virtually lack political strength and developing potential.

Many newspapers have recently quoted "Government's informed source" tried to elaborate the findings obtained from a public opinion poll conducted by Central Policy Unit as "Opponents are just like stepping on dog shit". That opinion survey explained nothing about the questionnaire design, available response options, research methodology, sample information, etc. The author would like to remind all pollsters again in this article, especially those government's informed sources, that according to international standards, all kinds of survey-related information should be openly disclosed when those findings are publicly released or overtly divulged. The Chinese version of this article was published by Hong Kong Economic Journal on March 27, 2006.

Robert Ting-Yiu Chung, Director of the Public Opinion Programme at HKU, was invited by the RTHK last year and several years ago to write an article on "Quality Television Programmes". This year, he wrote another article to review the development of quality television programmes over the last 5 years (2001-2005). This article mapped the development of such programmes using average appreciation indices and the number of times covered in quarterly surveys. The Chinese version of the article was published in the Hong Kong Economic Journal (abridged version) on 18 March 2006. 

This article mainly examined possible ways to get out of the deadlock in constitutional debates. Since no reform proposal has been able to secure the support of a two-thirds majority of the general public, and people have apparently different conflicting demands, general consensus is yet to be reached. To get out of the standoff, the author proposed the government to defer legislation and conduct a widespread consultation on different proposals, in order to find a proposal with two-thirds majority support. The Chinese version of this article was published by Hong Kong Economic Journal on December 21, 2005.

In response to Prof. Timothy Ka-ying Wong's points raised in his recent article, the author of this article agreed that results of surveys conducted in tone-dialling mode might not be accurate, and emphasized the importance of split of politics and science in public opinion polls. The Chinese version of this article (slightly abridged version) was published by Hong Kong Economic Journal on November 7, 2005.

This article mainly discussed the limitations of an opinion poll commissioned by the Central Policy Unit on constitutional development, carried in the Fifth Report of the Constitutional Development Task Force. The author asserted that the main limitations of the poll lied in its inability to test the critical points of pubic support over specific proposals, and its lack of data for comparing alternative proposals. The Chinese version of this article was published by Hong Kong Economic Journal on October 21, 2005.

This article responds and provides supplementary information to a published article in Hong Kong Daily News written by Wong Ka-ying, Associate Professor from the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, CUHK, regarding the discrepancies between the survey findings recorded by the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies and the University of Hong Kong Public Opinion Programme. In addition, the author would like to relay the discussion on the fluctuations of the CE popularity figures before the debate of the upcoming Policy Address commences. The Chinese text of this article was published concurrently by Hong Kong Economic Journal on October 10, 2005.

This article is slightly revised from the speech delivered by the author at the "Seminar on the Road to Democracy for Hong Kong and Macau" organized in Macau on September 10, 2005 by the Union For Construction Of Macau. It mainly explores the future of Macau's democratic development. The Chinese text of this article was published concurrently by Hong Kong Economic Journal on September 13, 2005.

Other than explaining the concept of "political honeymoon period", this article also warned the government not to neglect the little signals of public opinion, otherwise the people would finally suffer. The Chinese version of this article was published by Hong Kong Economic Journal on August 8, 2005.

The article was published by MingPao in two parts from July 15 to 16, 2005, with respective titles of "No Focus in this Year's July 1 Rally?" and "July 1 Really Brings Challenges to Government and Democrats". The article mainly analyzed and compared the participants' profiles, demands and participating modes of the past three July 1 rallies by looking at the results of the on-site surveys. It also suggested that the government and democrats should adopt a positive attitude to embrace the challenges brought by the July 1 rallies.

The Hong Kong University Student Research Team has observed and head-counted this year's June Fourth Candlelight Vigil and July 1 Rally. By this article, two core members briefly described the counting methods applied, their results and limitations. The authors also put the accent on the utmost importance of transparency and scientific approach during the process. The Chinese version of this article was published by the Hong Kong Economic Journal on July 12 2005.

This article mainly explained the role and work of the Research Team on the Study of Referendums in the "July 1 Mock Referendum", including providing advice in the planning of the activity, monitoring and recording the whole process during the mock referendum, as well as compiling an observation report after the activity. The Chinese version of the article was published by the Hong Kong Economic Journal on 1 July 2005.

In this article, the author mainly discussed people's propensity to participate in the July 1 rallies over the years and analyzed the trend of turnouts in the rallies, using opinion figures. The author also briefly discussed the effect of these rallies on the political culture of Hong Kong. The Chinese version of the article was published by the Hong Kong Economic Journal on 30 June 2005.

The author of this article asserts that when the government cites its own opinion surveys, it should also give all necessary details according to international standards of opinion research. Since Donald Tsang has quoted Central Policy Unit's surveys at length in his Legco question-and-answer session, the government should release the questionnaires and other details of the surveys. The Chinese version of this article was published by Hong Kong Economic Journal on June 28, 2005.

This article mainly introduced the pre-election surveys and exit polls conducted by the six major pollsters during the British parliamentary election and discussed their random sampling and weighting methods. The article also examined the rolling surveys' operation and how popular they were in this election. The Chinese version of this article was published by Hong Kong Economic Journal on May 16, 2005.

This article mainly analyzed the weakness and polarization of labour groups' force by examining the nature and turnouts of the two rallies on May 1. The article also briefly discussed the possibility of co-operation between the two major labour unions, and why the government paid little attention to the workers' rights. The Chinese version of the article was published by the Hong Kong Economic Journal on 5 May 2005.

The author of this article asserts that the current controversy over the term of office of the new Chief Executive is very similar to that over the right of abode many years ago. To avoid making the same mistake, the author suggested one way to resolve the controversy, which could alleviate public discontent, by focusing on a comprehensive review of the Basic Law in the future. The Chinese version of this article was published by Hong Kong Economic Journal on March 14, 2005.

This article discussed the effects of small-class education from different perspectives. The author asserted that such effects could not be quantified by simple scores, nor should the goal of education be set at producing elites with "high intelligence but low abilities". The Chinese version of this article was published by Hong Kong Economic Journal on March 12, 2005.

Robert Ting-Yiu Chung, Director of the Public Opinion Programme at HKU, was invited by the RTHK two years ago to write an article entitled "A Quick Tour of Quality Television Programmes". This year, he wrote another article to review the development of quality television programmes over the last 5 years (2000-2004). This article mapped the development of such programmes using average appreciation indices and the number of times covered in quarterly surveys. The Chinese version of the article was published by the Hong Kong Economic Journal (abridged version) on 8 March 2005, and by the RTHK's Media Digest (full version).

Following the release of the report entitled "Referendums Around the World and Lessons for Hong Kong" by the Research Team on the Study of Referendums, this article summed up the arguments for the possible and preferable applications of referendums in Hong Kong, and responded to various worries following the introduction of referendums. This article also briefly introduced how referendums could be practised in Hong Kong. The Chinese version of the article was published by the Hong Kong Economic Journal on 23 February 2005.

The Research Team on the Study of Referendums has just released its report entitled "Referendums Around the World and Lessons for Hong Kong". This article summed up its findings on the trend and development of referendums in different places, and also briefly examined the typology and implementation of referendums. The Chinese version of the article was published by Ming Pao on 19 February 2005.

The Hong Kong University Student Research Team observed and studied the January 23 Rally and wrote this article to record their findings. This article briefly discussed the head counting method and the result. It also examined the reasons for the low participation of the public in this rally. The Chinese version of this article was published by the Hong Kong Economic Journal on January 26 2005.

This article mainly discussed the importance of checks and balances on the government's policy-making process. Using the Hunghom Peninsula incident as an illustration, the author suggested that only through negotiations and balances among various interest groups, the policies could obtain the support and the society could have a stable development.

As the interim report of the Research Team on the Study of Referendums, apart from reporting the progress of the research conducted by the Team, the article analyzed the concept of referendums, their development & classification. The article also discussed the pros and cons of referendums, and provided preliminary suggestions on the development of referendums in Hong Kong. The Chinese version of the article was published by the Hong Kong Economic Journal on 11 January 2005.

The article mainly described some findings obtained from the "2005 New Year Rally" on-line survey, and analyzed its participants' background and demands. The author also discussed the influences of verbal violence, and expressed his expectations on the development of a healthy rally culture. The Chinese version of the article was published by the Hong Kong Economic Journal on 8 January 2005.

The Hong Kong University Student Research Team, after analyzing the motives of the New Year Rally's participants in the last article, studied the number of participants in the two rallies. This article mainly illustrated the head counting method and released the result, as well as summarizing the experiences gained from the head counting work. The Chinese version of the article was published by the Hong Kong Economic Journal on 5 January 2005.

The Hong Kong University Student Research Team observed and studied the January 1 Rally and wrote this article to record their findings. This article mainly examined the implication of this demonstration, and discussed the possibility of having another kind of opinions resorting to the street. This article also suggested the elements which drove participants to join the demonstration. The Chinese version of the article was published by the Hong Kong Economic Journal on 4 January 2005.

This article was written after the author had attended the election observation tour organized by the Central Election Commission in Taiwan. The author considered the development of exit polls to be an important benchmark of democratic development in Taiwan. People in Taiwan should treasure this development, and join hands to develop the credibility and professionalism of opinion polling in Taiwan. This article was originally scheduled for parallel publication by the Hong Kong Economic Journal and the Taiwan United Daily News. Finally, it was only published by the Hong Kong Economic Journal on 20 December 2004, and subsequently uploaded onto this website.

This article was written after the author had attended the election observation tour organized by the Central Election Commission in Taiwan. This article mainly elaborated the author's viewpoint in opposing Taiwan's further ban on election surveys, and suggested that the authorities should be cautious of the four possible problems resulting from the legislation before enacting the laws. The Chinese version of the article was published by the Hong Kong Economic Journal on 17 December 2004.

The points discussed in this article were basically the same as the Hong Kong version, but with slight amendments. The Chinese version of the article was published by the United Daily News on 16 December 2004, entitled "Banning Election Surveys is Democratic Back Paddling".

Recently there is a heated discussion in the society on the feasibility of holding a referendum in Hong Kong. In a meeting on November 23 discussing the feasibility of holding referendums in Hong Kong, the authors of this article announced that an independent and transparent research team would be formed by voluntarily participated local academics. This article mainly described the nature, research objective and theme of the concerned research team (temporarily named as "Research Team on the Study of Referendums"). The Chinese version of the article was published by the Hong Kong Economic Journal on 29 November 2004.

The Hong Kong University Student Research Team has conducted an observation and a research on the Southern District Council Tin Wan By-election, as well as writing an article to record the observations. This article mainly examined the effect of political parties on the result of the election, and discussed briefly the source of votes of major candidates. The Chinese version of the article was published by the MingPao on 24 November 2004.

The article was a discussion paper presented at a meeting of Legislative Council members and representatives from the democratic camp. The meeting was held on November 11 to discuss the feasibility of holding referendums in Hong Kong. This article mainly shared the author's experience in conducting two mock referendum projects, explained the author's view on developing referendums in Hong Kong and explored the feasibility of developing referendums in Hong Kong. The Chinese version of this article was published by Hong Kong Economic Journal on November 18, 2004.

The author, after introducing the operation of rolling surveys by major pollsters in America during the election in "Rolling Surveys on the United States Presidential Election", wrote another article to analyze the study of electoral votes by pollsters such as Zogby and CNN, as well as discussed briefly the issue of random sampling error. The Chinese version of the article was published by the Hong Kong Economic Journal on 2 November 2004.

While the United States presidential election is drawing near, Hong Kong's media is giving more coverage on the pre-election surveys conducted in the Unites States. This article mainly analyzed how Hong Kong's media reported these surveys, and explained in details the operation of rolling surveys by authoritative media bodies such as Reuters/Zogby, Washington Post/ABC News and Fox News. The Chinese version of the article was published by the Hong Kong Economic Journal on 1 November 2004.

The article mainly highlighted the important findings obtained from the surveys conducted by the author during the Legislative Council Election period, including the defeat of the democratic camp on Hong Kong Island, the success of the DAB's electoral strategy, and the victories of James Tien, "Long Hair" Leung Kwok-hung and Albert Cheng, etc. The author also briefly discussed the consensus reached among voters, as well as some problems arising from this election. The Chinese version of the article was published by the MingPao Monthly in October 2004.

This article responded to Mr. Kiu Ching Wah's column article on MingPao dated 8 October by further discussing the reasons of failure of the "Diamond List" in New Territories East in the 2004 Legislative Council Election. By re-organizing the "Diamond List" and basing on the exit poll results to split the source of votes of the concerned candidates, this article concluded that if the democratic camp took part in the election in separate lists, it would very likely obtain more seats. The Chinese version of the article was published concurrently by MingPao on 15 October 2004.

This is the last article of the "Legislative Council Election Exit Poll Analysis Article Series". Apart from analyzing the human resources distribution of various organizations which have conducted exit polls, the importance of keeping the exit poll results confidential before the close of election was also emphasized in this article. The Chinese version of the article was published by the Hong Kong Economic Journal on 6 October 2004.

This is the sixth article of the "Legislative Council Election Exit Poll Analysis Article Series". It mainly discussed the party strength of various participating political parties, background of voters in support of different candidates, as well as the flow of votes among various lists in New Territories West. The Chinese version of the article was published by the Hong Kong Economic Journal on 5 October 2004.

This is the fifth article of the "Legislative Council Election Exit Poll Analysis Article Series". The article mainly analyzed the voting results of New Territories East, including the reasons for the safe election of "Long Hair" Leung Kwok Hung, the failure of the "7.1 United Front", and the departure of senior legislator Andrew Wong. The Chinese version of the article was published by the Hong Kong Economic Journal on 4 October 2004.

Subsequent to the first 3 articles of the "Legislative Council Election Exit Poll Analysis Article Series", this article mainly discussed the flow of votes among various lists in Kowloon West and analyzed the characteristics and background of voters in support of different candidates. The Chinese version of the article was published by the Hong Kong Economic Journal on 2 October 2004.

This is the third article of the "Legislative Council Election Exit Poll Analysis Article Series". The article mainly analyzed the flow of votes both among and within the two political camps in Kowloon East. It also discussed the characteristics of voters in support of different candidates, and the split vote strategies of the two camps. The Chinese version of the article was published by the Hong Kong Economic Journal on 30 September 2004.

This is the second article of the "Legislative Council Election Exit Poll Analysis Article Series". The article mainly examined tactical voting among voters on Hong Kong Island. It also analyzed the characteristics of voters in support of different political camps, and how such support has changed in the past four years. The Chinese version of the article was published by the Hong Kong Economic Journal on 28 September 2004.

This is the first article of the "Legislative Council Election Exit Poll Analysis Article Series". Based on the exit polls conducted by the author on the Legislative Council election day, it analyzed the features and demands of voters from the democratic camp, the pro-China camp and the Liberal Party, so as to find a way to reach a consensus. The Chinese version of the article was published by the Hong Kong Economic Journal on 27 September 2004.

The article mainly addressed some common misunderstandings surrounding rolling polls, by introducing some basic statistical knowledge of social surveys, as well as some fundamental concepts of rolling surveys. The Chinese version of the article was published concurrently by the Hong Kong Economic Journal on 11 September 2004.

The article was published by MingPao in two parts, on August 17 and 18, 2004, with respective titles of "Room for Improvements in June Fourth Candlelight Vigil" and "Fighting for Democracy is the Common Aspiration in July 1 Rally". The article conducted a qualitative analysis on the aspirations of participants in the June Fourth Candlelight Vigil and the July 1 rally with the on-line survey results, and discussed the future trend of mass movement.

The article mainly discussed how several popular public opinion surveys work, including snap polls, tracking polls, rolling polls and exit polls. It also suggested the development of a set of professional code of ethics in Hong Kong when the media reports the public opinion surveys. The slightly shortened Chinese version of the article was published by the Media Digest and Hong Kong Economic Journal (abridged version) on 16 August 2004.

The article mainly described the author's opinion survey work and method adopted prior to the election nomination period, with real figures and examples. Implications and limitations of the survey method were also discussed. The Chinese version of the article was published by the Hong Kong Economic Journal on 7 August 2004.

The article was published by MingPao in three parts, from July 7 to 9, 2004, with respective titles of "Thorough Self-initiating Mobilization; Weaker Mass Media's Propaganda Effect", "No Blind Confrontation against the Central Government when Fighting for Democracy" and "Fighting for more Communication and No Easy Compromises". The article mainly compared the profiles of the participants of July 1 rallies in 2003 and 2004. It also discussed the messages brought by this year's July 1 rally, as well as participants' demands and their attitude towards the Central Government.

The article was published by MingPao in two parts, on July 15 and 16, 2004, with respective titles of "500,000 People in 2003's July 1 Rally as a Reliable Figure; 50,000 People at most in This Year's January 1 Rally" and "180,000 to 210,000 People in This Year's July 1 Rally". The article mainly discussed the author's head counting methods and limitations faced in last year's July 1 rally, this year's January 1 rally, June Fourth Candlelight Vigil and July 1 rally.

The article was published by Hong Kong Economic Journal in two parts, on July 15 and 16, 2004, with respective titles of "Static Counting Methods in Mass Gatherings and Rallies" and "Moving-mass Counting Methods in July 1 Rally". The article mainly examined the procedures and difficulties in various head counting methods through the June Fourth Candlelight Vigil and the July 1 rally.

The article described the method, result and limitations of the head counting exercise carried out by the authors in this year's July 1 rally, while at the same time discussed the limitations of different head counting methods. The article was published by Hong Kong Economic Times on July 16, 2004.

This article mainly analyzed the democratic development in Hong Kong from the perspective of population structure, with figures obtained in the 2001 Population Census and the on-site survey conducted in this year's July 1 rally. The Chinese version of the article was published by the Hong Kong Economic Journal on 5 July 2004.

This article mainly examined the in-depth meaning of the July 1 rally and used the figures from the public opinion surveys conducted by the POP Team in recent months to analyze the people's propensity to participate in July 1 rally. The Chinese version of the article was published on the Hong Kong Economic Journal on 1 July 2004.

This long article in Chinese was published by Ming Pao in a series of four shorter articles, between 22 and 24 June 2004, with respective titles of "Youngsters Commemorate June Fourth", "The Essence of June Fourth Candlelight Vigil passes on by the Media", "Media Accused of Changing Attitude Towards June Fourth" and " 'Objectivation' of June Fourth by the Media". The article mainly analyzed the June Fourth Candlelight Vigil's meaning to the participants, their demographic characteristics and the importance of mass media on preserving and disseminating information related to the June Fourth Incident. The article also discussed the change of the mass media's attitude when reporting the June Fourth Incident.

This article summarized the author's observations on the polling stations in "March 20 Election" in Taiwan and discussed the problems on the media and the public opinion survey mechanism in Taiwan nowadays. The Chinese version of this article was published by Hong Kong Economic Journal on May 25, 2004.

This article is slightly expanded from the written speech delivered by the author at the "Conference on Policy Reform of Macau & Hong Kong" organized in Macau on May 15, 2004. It briefly discussed the direction of the constitutional reform in Macau. The conference was organized by the Union For Construction Of Macau, while the Chinese version of this article was published concurrently by Hong Kong Economic Journal on May 22, 2004.

Using the figures of the 2001 Population Census and the relevant surveys regarding Hong Kong new immigrants, this article discussed the differences between the new immigrants and the Hong Kong general population. The Chinese version of this article was published by Hong Kong Economic Journal on May 17, 2004.

This article is slightly expanded from the actual speech delivered by the author at the "Seminar on the Principles of 07/08 Constitutional Reform" on May 1, 2004 organized by Radio Television Hong Kong. It mainly discussed the problems revolving around the definition and reality of "actual situation'. The Chinese version of this article was also published by Hong Kong Economic Journal on May 6, 2004.

This is the preliminary outline of the speech delivered by the author at the "Seminar on the Principles of 07/08 Constitutional Reform" on May 1, 2004, preceding the actual speech.

The article reiterated the Research Team's position on "Opinion Survey on the Public Ranking of Universities in Hong Kong". It also suggested that universities cooperate to formulate a rating mechanism in future. An abridged version in Chinese was published by Hong Kong Economic Journal on May 3 2004.

The article discussed the actual difficulties in performing rally head-counting, including the definition of participants, the projection of the man-flow in and out of the procession, and so on. The Chinese version was published by Hong Kong Economic Journal on April 27, 2004.

This article, which was written after the April 11 Rally, discussed the professional standards of conducting and releasing survey results. It also made suggestions to the government regarding the possible methods of conducting head counts in future. The Chinese version was published by Hong Kong Economic Journal on April 26, 2004.

This article made a comparative analysis on the profiles of participants in the July 1 and New Year Rallies. Backgrounds and communication behaviours of the "active participants" and "possible participants" were also compared. The Chinese version was published by Hong Kong Economic Journal in three parts, between April 21 and 23, 2004, with respective titles of "Comparing the Mobilization Patterns of Two Large Rallies", "Comparing Core and New Participants of Mass Rallies" and "Political Communication Behaviour of Rally Participants".

This abstract facilitates readers' understanding of the full article, which is only available in Chinese.

This is the full version of the paper presented by the author at the World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR) Annual Conference. The paper discussed the methods, mistakes and implications of the British Hong Kong and SAR Governments in handling public opinion regarding the 1988 Direct Election and the legislation of Article 23 of the Basic Law respectively. The article also suggested ways to conduct public consultations in future. An abridged version in Chinese was presented at the "Seminar on 2007 Constitutional Review" co-organized by the University of Hong Kong and Radio Television Hong Kong on January 17, 2004, supported by Hong Kong Cable TV.

This is a Chinese abridged version of the paper presented by the author on September 18, 2003 at the World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR) Annual Conference. It was presented at the "Seminar on 2007 Constitutional Review" co-organized by the University of Hong Kong and Radio Television Hong Kong on January 17, 2004, supported by Hong Kong Cable TV.

Using public opinion data, the article analyzed the development of Hong Kong people's confidence in "one country, two systems" since 1993, and the role of CE Tung Chee-hwa on this issue. The Chinese version was published concurrently by "Hong Kong Economic Journal".

Using exit poll figures of the 2003 District Council Election, this article mainly discussed the role of the news media and voters' motivations in this election, it also analyzed the power base of the democrats. The Chinese version was published in the December 2003 edition of Media Digest.

This article described the author's latest predictions of the District Council Election, while at the same time addressed the limitations of such predictions. It touched on the prediction of voter turnout rates, and the chance of candidates from different camps winning their elections.

This article introduced the roles of the three HKU research teams on the District Council election day, and discussed the practical operation and points to note for conducting exit polls.

This article is written after Michael Wong Kin-chow resigned from the post of Equal Opportunities Commission Chairman. It discussed the existing appointment regime of EOC and made some suggestions. The Chinese version of this article was published concurrently by Hong Kong Economic Journal on November 8, 2003.

This article was put up on-line at the request of the author. It was written in response to Robert Ting-Yiu Chung's article entitled "Intellectuality Not for Sale" published on May 12, 2003. The article pointed out that intellectuals do not have the monopoly to pursue truth and differentiate what is right and wrong. Instead, people from all walks of life should have their own baseline of dignity and morality. The Chinese version of this article was published by Hong Kong Economic Journal on May 15, 2003.

This is the full version of the paper presented by the author at the "International Conference on Hong Kong under 'One Country, Two Systems'", organized by Taiwan Advocates, and held in the Grand Hotel of Taipei between August 16 and 17, 2003. Based on public opinion figures, this paper analyzed the change in Hong Kong people's receptiveness of "one country, two systems" before and after the handover. The article discussed various factors affecting Hong Kong people's receptiveness of "one country, two systems", analyzed the mood of Taiwan people towards Hong Kong under the "one country, two systems", and explored the future development of triangular relationship between Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. An abridged version in Chinese was published by Hong Kong Economic Journal in two parts, on August 28 and 29, 2003, while an abridged version of the paper in English is available in this POP Site.

This is an abridged version of the paper presented by the author at the "International Conference on Hong Kong under 'One Country, Two Systems'", organized by Taiwan Advocates, and held in Taipei between August 16 and 17, 2003. Apart from removing some tables, charts and lengthy analyses to save space, the main points have remained basically unchanged. The full version of the paper in Chinese is available in this POP Site, while an abridged version in Chinese was published by Hong Kong Economic Journal in two parts, on August 28 and 29, 2003. This is an abridged version of the paper in English.

Using public opinion data, this article discussed people's receptiveness of the newly appointed principal officials and the latest political development of the SARG governance, as well as suggested ways to stabilize the current political situation.

The article discussed the findings of the online "July 1 Demonstration Survey", pointed out the power of internet in mobilizing the mass, and analyzed the political efficacy of computer network. The Chinese version was published by Hong Kong Economic Journal in two parts, on July 24 and 25, 2003.

The article discussed the method for calculating the number of participants joining the "July 1 Demonstration", the actual difficulties encountered, and the projection figures. The Chinese version was published in the July edition of Media Digest.

The article discussed the findings of an onsite survey conducted during the "July 1 Demonstration", pointed out the various kinds of mobilizations, and analyzed the paradigm change in Hong Kong's political communication. The Chinese version was published by Hong Kong Economic Journal in two parts, on July 15 and 16, 2003.

The article discussed the on-site survey findings of the "July 1 Demonstration", pointed out the various demands of the people who marched, and analyzed their socio-demographic characteristics. An abridged version in Chinese was published by MingPao on July 7, 2003.

The article discussed the various problems of the consultation exercise conducted by the government in relation to the legislation of Basic Law Article 23, and suggested ways to conduct proper consultations in future. The Chinese version was published by Hong Kong Economic Journal on June 11, 2003.

The article re-analyzed the submissions of the Basic Law Article 23 consultation, and cast doubt on the government's classification and analysis of the public opinion. The Chinese version was published by Hong Kong Economic Journal on June 6, 2003.

The article not only compared and analyzed the change of findings obtained in mid-June and early July regarding the public views on Article 23 legislation, it also discussed the proportions and socio-demographic characteristics of the people who were against continuing the legislative process on July 9. The article also analyzed the indication brought to Hong Kong by the "July 1st Demonstration".

The article discussed people's anxiety levels on the possibilities of being contracted and the resurfacing of the disease after the subsidence of SARS. It also analyzed people's appraisal of the performances of the HKSAR, Central and Taiwan Governments in coping with the crisis.

The article compared the findings obtained from different means and channels regarding the public views on Article 23 legislation, and analyzed the proportions and socio-demographic characteristics of its proponents and opponents.

The article mainly discussed the methodologies for measuring the popularity of the Principal Officials under the accountability system, and analyzed the latest findings.

The article mainly discussed the different methodologies for measuring CE's popularity, and compared their differences and advantages.

The article mainly described the author's feelings when faced with the latest survey findings of the June Fourth Incident.

This article was invited and reported by South China Morning Post, an abridged version in Chinese is published concurrently by Hong Kong Economic Journal. The article mainly discussed, using public opinion data, the support level of CE Tung Chee-hwa across different demographic groups.

The article was invited by Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union, it is published concurrently by Tai Hok Tao, Hong Kong Economic Journal, and this POP Site. The article mainly discussed the responsibilities and missions borne by intellectuals, and the baseline they must uphold in case they become commentators or politicians.

Using public opinion data, this article discussed people's anxiety level on the possibility of them and their family members contracting SARS

The article was invited by Ming Pao Monthly, it is published concurrently by the magazine and this POP Site. The article analyzed the ups and downs of CE Tung Chee-hwa's popularity over the past year and a half, and discussed the governance crisis brought by the atypical pneumonia epidemic in both longitudinal and latitudinal aspects.

The article analyzed the change in Hong Kong people's trust in Beijing Central and the HKSAR Governments, as well as their confidence in Hong Kong's future, China's future and "one country, two systems" after the outbreak of atypical pneumonia and the sackings of senior officials in Beijing. The article also emphasized the importance of a decisive and open-minded leadership core for upholding Hong Kong's advantages.

The article cast doubt on some commentators' way of calculating the death rate of atypical pneumonia, urged the general public to stay rational and objective under the calamitous incident and suggested the government to "strike a right balance between taking disturbing or scaring measures".

The article pointed out that the "Report of the Task Force on Population Policy" released by the government late last month failed to alleviate problems facing our demographic structure, while solutions to many education issues triggered by the dropping fertility rate were yet to be found. Many suggestions were also made in the article on how to enhance the quality of teaching in Hong Kong.

Robert Ting-Yiu Chung, Director of the Public Opinion Programme at HKU, was invited by the RTHK to write this article to summarize the major trends observed in the "Television Programme Appreciation Index Surveys" conducted in the last 5 years (1998-2002).

This article pointed out the various hardships faced by the middle class under such economic downturn. The author criticized the government for its failure to respond to the grievances of the middle class, rapacious extortions were made from them instead. Volatile and unfocused policies, on the other hand, have made them confused. Besides, the article proposed that, under such adverse conditions, the government should pursue appropriate cultural policies to boost people's spiritual life.

The article pointed out some common mistakes made by the local media in reporting opinion polls, and made some suggestions on how to present the figures.

The article dissected the government's approach in collating people's submissions in relation to Article 23 of the Basic Law, cast five points of doubt, and then made a number of suggestions on further analysis. After listing 10 sets of variables for quantitative analysis, the authors also proposed to screen out the more substantive and comprehensive submissions for qualitative analysis.

This article mainly focused on the desired positioning of Hong Kong, together with a brief introduction of the "POP Column". It is the first commentary written by Robert Chung since the Polling Incident in July 2000, and can thus be taken as a foreword to the establishment of the "POP Column".