Survey on South China Sea DisputesBack

| Research Background | Research Team Members | Contact Information | Research Design | Questionnaire |

| Demographics of Respondents | Frequency Tables | Survey Report |


Research Background

In August 2018, Mr Albert del Rosario of the Philippines commissioned the Public Opinion Programme (POP) of The University of Hong Kong to conduct an independent opinion survey in Hong Kong on the South China Sea Disputes, targeting Cantonese-speaking local citizens in Hong Kong of age 18 or above. The survey aimed to investigate Hong Kong people’s awareness and views on the disputes and how much importance they give to public opinion in settling the disputes.

 

The research instrument used in this study was designed entirely by the POP Team after consulting Social Weather Stations (SWS) and studying its survey in late June of 2018. Moreover, fieldwork operations, data collection and data analysis were conducted independently by the POP Team, without interference from any party. In other words, although the content of the questionnaire mainly came from the commissioning organization, POP was given full autonomy to design and conduct the survey, and POP would take full responsibility for all the findings reported herewith.


Research Team Members

Research Directors :
Project Manager :
Data Analyst :

CHUNG Ting-Yiu Robert
and PANG Ka-Lai Karie

LEE Wing-Yi Winnie

TAI Chit-Fai Edward

Survey date

:

1 to 6 November 2018

Survey method

:

Random telephone survey conducted by real interviewers

Target population

:

Cantonese-speaking local citizens in Hong Kong of age 18 or above

Sampling method

:

Telephone numbers are randomly generated using known prefixes assigned to telecommunication services providers under the Numbering Plan provided by the Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA). Invalid numbers are then eliminated according to computer and manual dialing records to produce the final sample. If more than one subject had been available, the one who had his/her birthday next was selected.

Sample size

:

1,000 successful cases (including 617 landline samples and 383 mobile samples)

Effective response rate

:

59.4%

Standard error

:

Less than 1.6% (i.e. at 95% confidence level, the maximum sampling error of all percentages should be no more than +/-3.2 percentage points

Weighting method

:

The data has been rim-weighted according to figures provided by the Census and Statistics Department. The gender-age distribution of the Hong Kong population came from “Mid-year population for 2017”, while the educational attainment (highest level attended) distribution and economic activity status distribution came from “Women and Men in Hong Kong - Key Statistics (2018 Edition)”.

For details, please refer to“Breakdown of contact information”.



Research Design

Telephone interviews were conducted by interviewers under close supervision. All data were collected by our interviewers using a Web-based Computer Assisted Telephone Interview (Web-CATI) system invented by the research team, which allowed real-time data capture and consolidation. To ensure data quality, on top of on-site supervision, voice recording, screen capturing and camera surveillance were used to monitor the interviewers’ performance.


Telephone numbers are randomly generated using known prefixes assigned to telecommunication services providers under the Numbering Plan provided by the Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA). Invalid numbers are then eliminated according to computer and manual dialing records to produce the final sample.

 

The target population of this survey was Cantonese-speaking local citizens in Hong Kong of age 18 or above. For landline sample, when telephone contact was successfully established with a target household, one eligible subject was interviewed. If more than one eligible subject had been available, selection was made using the “next birthday rule” which selected the person who had his/her birthday next. The survey was conducted during the period of 1 to 6 November 2018. A total of 1,000 eligible subjects were successfully interviewed, including 617 landline samples and 383 mobile samples. The effective response rate of this survey was 59.4%, and the standard sampling error for percentages based on this sample was less than 1.6 percentage points. In other words, the sampling error for all percentages using the total sample was less than plus/minus 3.2 percentage points at 95% confidence level.

 
Questionnaire (pdf format only)

Demographics of Respondents

Frequency Tables (pdf format only)

Survey Report (pdf format only)

| Research Background | Research Team Members | Contact Information | Research Design | Questionnaire |

| Demographics of Respondents | Frequency Tables | Survey Report |