專欄名稱：《話說民調》
每天我們都能在新聞、廣告、學術著作中看到各種調查結果。許多人也曾被服務提供者、學校，甚至朋友邀請參與調查。但是，人們能如何利用調查？調查結果是否值得信賴？為什麼有些調查被認為更可信，而另一些則不然？
在教育過程中，我們會經常展示調查結果相關的圖表或者更複雜的統計數字。不可否認，大多數時候，這些材料在課堂上被使用，甚至不加批判地被學生用於他們的報告和作業中。
每次學生們在聽到「研究」時，他們往往會自然聯想到「做調查」以收集感興趣的數據。因為我對學生的這個「想當然」感到困惑，為了更深入了解學生對調查和調查方法的具體看法，今個學年我決定在我的《研究方法導論》課程中邀請他們思考並回應以下問題：
1. 試提供至少一個專業調查及其得出的數據的例子。
2. 試提供至少一個非專業調查及其得出的數據的例子。
3. 如何區分專業調查與非專業調查？
4. 從世界民意研究協會（WAPOR）等專業和學術機構提供的行為準則、指引和報告中，你學到了什麼？
5. 就你而言，這些行為準則、指引和報告對你如何想像硏究有多大幫助？
6. 在你看來，人們通常對調查方法的「主觀期許」有哪些？
7. 在你看來，人們通常對調查方法的「錯誤認知」有哪些？
8. 作為一名大學生，在這階段的學習中你對調查方法和數據的態度變得「更正面 / 更負面 / 沒有改變」嗎？為什麼？
9. 在你的地方（如果不是香港，請在回答中注明），政治精英是否偶爾會密切關注專業機構 / 學術機構調查提供的數據？如果有，請至少舉一個例子來支持你的回答。
10. 基於你對上述問題的反思，試為香港能否自由地進行專業調查和發布數據的環境評分（1分為最不理想，10分為最理想），並分別為香港未來5年後和10年後的情況評分。
由於民意調查和數據經常在媒體中受到關注，學者、評論家、記者和政策制定者同樣希望我們相信意見調查和數據都廣泛應用於研究和政策制定中。作為公眾，我們更需要具備區分專業與非專業調查的能力。無論是在香港還是其他地方參考專業標準和實踐，如何讓我們更清楚認識到對民意調查和調查方法的「主觀期許」及「錯誤認知」？這個問題的重要性不言而喻。
從本週的通訊開始，我將和讀者在這𥚃分享從學生那裡學到的內容，希望反思我們可以在哪些方面做得更好，通過教育提升學生的數據素養，進而賦權年輕公民自主學習「驗證後再信任」的判斷能力。
在今天的香港，即使在這個開場白結束前，我自己也要學習不厭其煩地指出，在這一系列討論中我所表達的內容和觀點僅屬於我個人的，並負擔全部責任。當然，大家在這裡讀到的完全不代表任何大學或組織的立場。
祝大家有一個美好的2025年！
陳家洛
（本文原文為英文，由 AI 工具轉譯為中文並經人手校對）
Column name: Dialogues with Survey Data
Every day we are presented with survey results in news, advertisements, scholarly works. Many of us have been invited by service providers, schools, and even friends to participate in surveys. But what use can people make of surveys? Can surveys in general be trusted? Why are some surveys considered more trustworthy than others?
In education, we have been presented a table here or a chart there more too often. Admittedly, most of the time the materials in questions are used in class and reused by students in their papers and projects uncritically.
I have long been perplexed by how often when the word “research” is mentioned, students would think of “doing a survey” to gather data on whatever the topic of interest is. To find out more what students nowadays think about surveys and survey methods, I have invited them to consider the following issues in my Research Methods class:
1. Provide at least one example of professional survey and the resultant data.
2. Provide at least one example of unprofessional survey and the resultant data.
3. How can one separate the professional from the unprofessional
4. What have you learnt from the Code, Guidelines, and Reports provided by professional and scholarly bodies such as the World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR)?
5. How helpful are the Code, Guidelines, and Reports as far as you are concerned?
6. What, in your view, constitute our wishful thinking about survey methods?
7. What, in your view, constitute our wrongful thinking about survey methods?
8. As a university student, have you become more / less / unchanged in your attitudes towards survey methods and data? How? Please explain.
9. Do the political elites in (please name your country in your answer if not Hong Kong) occasionally pay close and keen attention to data provided by professional / academic surveys? Please provide at least one example to support your answer.
10. Based on your own reflections with respect to the questions above, please rate Hong Kong’s environment nowadays for the freedom to conduct professional surveys and publish data (1 being the least favourable, 10 being the most favourable) and rate the same for Hong Kong in 5 years’ time and in 10 years’ time.
Opinion polls and surveys are widely used in research and policymaking. As opinion polls and survey data often receive attention in the media, scholars, commentators, journalists, and policymakers, we the public need to be able to differentiate between professional and unprofessional polls. With reference to the professional standards and practices, how can one become more aware of the wishful and wrongful thinking about opinion polls and survey methods in Hong Kong and elsewhere?
Starting with this week’s bulletin, I undertake to review what I learnt from the students. I intend to reflect on where we can do better to enhance data literacy through education and by extension, empower citizens to learn how to verify before trust.
It goes without saying that the contents and the viewpoints expressed herein are mine and mine alone. I am solely responsible for the work done which does not represent the stance of any university or organization.
May I wish you a Great 2025!
Kenneth CHAN Ka Lok
