(初版：2006年11月7日新聞公報之附加資料)

Mapping people's confidence in the future and "one country, two systems"

One important aspect of opinion polling around the world is to monitor people's confidence in the future of their own country and region. Shortly after HKUPOP was established, we started to conduct surveys on this aspect. This passage explains our work in this regard with specific reference to people's confidence in Hong Kong's future, China's future and "one country, two systems".

Due to Hong Kong's very special political status, before the handover in 1997, our survey covered people's confidence in Hong Kong's future and "one country, two systems". After the handover, the survey added the question on people's confidence in China's future in the series. Details regarding our surveys are as follows: 

In December 1992, our survey series on people's confidence started. With respect to people's confidence in Hong Kong, the wordings used in the questionnaire being "Do you have confidence in HK's future?" Surveys were conducted once a month, until April 1998 when it was changed to once every two months. It has remained unchanged since then. 

As for people's confidence in China's future, the frequency was not quite stable at the beginning. Beginning in July 1997, the wordings used in the questionnaire being "Do you have confidence in China's future?" Surveys were conducted once a month at the beginning, but between January 1998 and July 2001, only 5 surveys were conducted on an irregular basis. Then, in August 2001, the survey began its regular course of development, and has been conducted once every two months since then. 

As for people's confidence in "one country, two systems", the survey started in June 1993. The wordings used in the questionnaire being "On the whole, do you have confidence in 'one country, two systems'?" Surveys were conducted once every two months, until May 1995 when it was changed to once a month, but were later on changed to once every two months since February 1998. It has remained unchanged since then. 

Regarding sample size, from the beginning to June 2000, the sample size of "people's confidence in HK's future/"one country, two systems" survey was set at slightly over 500, while beginning from May 2000, it was increased to at least 1,000. As for "people's confidence in China's future, since July 2001, the sample size has been changed from slightly over 500 to at least 1,000. 

All findings have been published regularly on-line at our HKU POP Site since December 2001, while all previous findings published via our newsletter POP Express have also been uploaded in various formats.

(First release: Supplementary section of our press release of 7 November 2006)

• 民研計劃自1992年12月開始定期進行「巿民對社會整體狀況評價」調查，當初的調查題目包括市民最關注的問題，以及對政治、經濟及社會現況滿意程度、回顧及展望。提問方式分別為：「現在香港面對好多問題，你個人最關心邊種問題呢？」、「整體黎講，你滿唔滿意香港而家既政治／經濟／社會環境？」、「同三年前比較你覺得香港而家既政治／經濟／社會環境好定差呢？」、「以你估計，三年後香港既政治／經濟／社會環境會比而家既好定差呢？」
• 2005年，調查中市民最關注問題的單元更加入巿民對政治、經濟及社會問題的關注程度。提問方式為：「請你用0至10分評價你對香港政治／經濟／社會問題既關心程度。10分代表非常關心，5分代表一半半，0分代表非常不關心，咁你會俾多分？」。
• 調查頻率方面，「市民最關注的問題」及「對政治、經濟及社會現況滿意程度」開始為每兩個月一次，至2000年12月改為每三個月進行一次，之後由2006年6月起至今更改為每六個月進行一次；「對政治、經濟及社會狀況的回顧及展望」的調查頻率開始為每兩個月一次，至1997年2月改為每三個月進行一次，之後由1998年2月起至今更改為每六個月進行一次；而「巿民對政治、經濟及社會問題的關注程度」方面，調查頻率自2005年3月開始為每三個月一次，之後由2006年6月起至今更改為每六個月進行一次，以配合社會的發展。

樣本數目方面，2000年4月或以前的調查，樣本數目都稍為超過500個，由2000年6月開始的有關調查的樣本數目就增加至1,000個以上。
民研計劃於2000年或以前所進行的「巿民對社會整體狀況評價」調查，結果都在由民研計劃發行的《民意快訊》中發表。及至《民意網站》成立後，所有調查開始透過網站向外公佈，而以往透過民研計劃刊物《民意快訊》發表的調查結果，亦以不同形式上載到網站之中。

(初版：2007年1月9日新聞公報之附加資料)

Mapping people's appraisal of society's current conditions

People's appraisal of their society's current condition is always an important indicator of a society's development. Shortly after HKUPOP was established, we began to conduct regular surveys on people's appraisal of Hong Kong society's current conditions. The surveys not only investigate the problem people are most concerned with, but also include people's satisfaction with the current political, economic and social conditions as well as their appraisal, expectation and level of concern for the above three aspects. The following is about the development of the related surveys. 

• Since December 1992, HKU POP began our regular surveys on "people's appraisal of society's current conditions". The questions in the initial surveys covered people's most concerned problem, their satisfaction with the current political, economic and social conditions as well as their appraisal and expectation. The wordings used in the questionnaire are "Hong Kong is currently facing various problems. What kind of problems are you most concerned with?", "Generally speaking, are you satisfied with the present political/economic/social condition in Hong Kong?", "Do you think the political/economic/social condition in Hong Kong has become better or worse in the last three years?" and "Do you think the political/economic/social condition in Hong Kong will become better or worse in three years' time?"
• In 2005, under people's most concerned problem, we added questions on people's level of concern for political, economic and social problems. The wordings used in the questionnaire are "Please use a scale of 0-10 to rate your level of concern for the political/economic/social problems in Hong Kong, with 10 indicating extremely concerned, 5 being half-half and 0 indicating extremely not concerned."
• Regarding the frequency, "people's most concerned problem" and "satisfaction with the current political, economic and social conditions" were first surveyed once every two months. Their frequencies were changed to once every three months since December 2000 and then to once every six months since June 2006. For the "appraisal and expectation on the political, economic and social conditions", the frequency of this sub-indicator survey was changed from once every two months at the beginning to once every three months since February 1997. From February 1998 onwards, it is reviewed once every half a year. When it comes to "people's level of concern for political, economic and social problems", it was first surveyed once every three months since March 2005. Starting from June 2006, it is examined once every six months to cope with the changing social conditions.
• Regarding the sample size, on or before April 2000, the sample size of surveys was set at slightly over 500. Since June 2000, it was increased to at least 1,000.
• The findings from our "people's appraisal of society's current conditions" surveys conducted by 2000 were released through our newsletter POP Express. After our HKU POP Site was established, the findings are released online, while all previous findings published in our POP Express have also uploaded on-line in various formats.  

(First release: Supplementary section of our press release of 9 January 2007)