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HKU SPACE Community College Lecture 1: Research Report Format / DO

English for Academic Purposes II

_____________________________________________________________________________________

It is common practice that students are required to write reports on their research. A basic framework for

your research report is given below.

Research Report Format

(Note: main sections are in italics and subheadings are in bold type.)

Preliminaries: 1. The title: The fewest words possible that adequately describe the paper.

2. Table of Contents: This includes the sections in sequence. Charts and

diagrams should appear in a separate table entitled List of Figures. Tables should

appear in a List of Tables.

3. Abstract: A concise summary of the contents of the report, providing a fully

self-contained overview for the reader.

Introduction: 4. Thesis Statement: What is the aim of your investigation What particular

background information and research findings/statistics may be useful for the

reader to know

5. Method: A clear explanation of how you did your research, structured your

questionnaire and drew conclusions from the research.

Body: 6. Discussion: The logical presentation of primary and secondary research.

Conclusion: 7. Conclusion: A concise restatement of the investigation results and

recommendations based on them.

8. Recommendations: What do you think should be done in response to the

situation you have investigated Who should respond—government, business, a

consumer watchdog, individuals You may choose to number recommendations

in order of importance.

References: 9. References: An alphabetically ordered list of all the sources you cite (refer to)

in the Report. Don’t include bibliographic entries for sources you haven’t cited.

Appendices: 10. Appendix: These can include a copy of the questionnaire and interview

transcripts, as well as any other information that may assist you in getting your

message across to the reader.

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Analysis of Student Model

In groups, note down brief answers to the questions that follow. Be prepared to offer these answers in

your research project groups in the next lecture.

Look closely at:

How the report is divided into sections

The type of language used

Titles and headings

Formatting (text size, style, page layout, etc.)

HKU SPACE Community College

Higher Diploma Programme

English for Academic Purposes II

Assignment 2: Research Report

“The Attitudes towards Waste and Recycling among HKU SPACE Community College Students.”

To: DAVID OSHLACK

From: xxxxxxx

Xxxxxxx

Xxxxxxx

xxxxxxx

Class: xxxxxxxxxxx

Submission Date: xxxxxxxxxxx

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1. Preliminary Pages

i) Are all sections of the report numbered

ii) Why do some items in the Table of Contents have the same page number

iii) What do you notice about the numbering systems used

iv) What is included in the List of Figures (overleaf)

Table of Contents

Page

Table of contents i – ii

List of figures iii

Abstract iv

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction 1

1.2 Method 2-3

2. DISCUSSION

2.1 Waste 4

2.1.1 Waste in Hong Kong 4

2.1.2 Excessive Use and Disposal of Plastic Bags 4

2.1.3 Use of Recycle Bags 5

2.1.4 Household Waste 7

2.1.5 Consequences of Waste 9

2.2 Recycling

2.2.1 Introduction to Recycling 10

2.2.2 Environmental Levy Scheme 11

2.2.3 Hong Kong Recycling Systems 13

2.2.4 Advantages of Recycling 15

2.2.5 Attitudes towards Recycling 16

3. CONCLUSION 17

4. RECOMMENDATIONS

4.1 Strengthen recycling policies in Hong Kong 18

4.2 Increase home recycling 18-19

5. WORKS CITED 20-22

6. APPENDIX

APPENDIX 1 Questionnaire Sample 23-25

APPENDIX 2 Types of paper that can be recycled 26

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2. Abstract

i) What is the purpose of the Abstract What information is provided

List of Figures

Figure 1.1 Gender of respondents 2

Figure 1.2 Age group of respondents 2

Figure 2.1 Frequency of using plastic bags 5

Figure 2.2 Frequency of bring recycle bags 6

Figure 2.3 Reason for respondents not to bring recycle bag 7

Figure 2.4 The item causes the most household waste 8

Figure 2.5 Frequency of recycling household wastes 9

Figure 2.6 Consequences of plastic bag waste 10

Figure 2.7 The issue date of environmental levy 11

Figure 2.8 The reason of opposing the environmental levy 12

Figure 2.9 The impact of using plastic bags after environmental levy 13

Figure 2.10 Recycling programme joined 14

Figure 2.11 Useful recycling programme 14

Figure 2.12 The ways that people are aware of the programme 15

Figure 2.13 Advantages of recycling 16

Figure 2.14 How to handle household wastes before recycling 17

Abstract

This research investigates the behaviors and attitudes towards waste and recycling among students of HKU SPACE

Community College. 50 copies of questionnaire, separated in two parts regarding wastes and recycling respectively, are

distributed. The information is collected from questionnaire, printed and online books periodicals and electronic sources.

The findings of the first part reveal students only recycle few household wastes used in daily lives. Half of the respondents

use plastic bags less than 3 times per week and bring recycle bags with them. Generally, the students know that plastic bag

wastes may affect the environment, natural resources and both human beings and animals.

The findings of the second part illustrate almost all students have joined different kinds of recycling programs. By far the

largest proportion of students supports the environmental levy scheme on plastic bags and reduces the use of plastic bags

after issuing the scheme. The results also suggest that many students comprehend recycling can create better environment

and ameliorate global warming.

This survey has provided recommendations for the government with the aim of raising the citizen’s environmental

consciousness and efficiency of the recycling programs.

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3. Method

(i) What information is included in the Method section

1.2 Method

The objective of this research report is to examine the behaviors and attitudes towards waste and recycling among students

of HKU SPACE Community College. The survey was conducted at HPCC campus. 50 copies of questionnaire were issued

within October 2010, and the response rate was 100%. A Questionnaire sample is attached (see Appendix 1).

A large proportion of respondents are females (see Figure 1.1). Besides, the data collected in the survey mainly implicates

the intentions of the recycling behaviors and attitudes among the students aged 19 – 21 because 3 of fifths of the respondents

belong to this age group (see Figure 1.2).

The questionnaire is arranged to two main parts: the attitudes towards waste; the attitudes towards recycling. There are in

total 19 questions about the two main parts, with 11 questions asking about attitudes towards wastes and 8 questions asking

about recycling. We acknowledge the difficulty in collecting detailed on usage rate of plastic bags and the recycling rate of

the household wastes per week. This is perhaps because respondents treat the use of plastic bags or the recycling of

household waste as habitual activities and don’t pay much attention to them.

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4. Discussion

i) Which authors/organisations does the writer cite in the passage below Circle the names.

2.1.5 Consequences of wastes

According to a Environmental Protection Department survey, the quantities of solid waste disposed of at landfills are

decreasing gradually. Discussed in section 2.1.4, municipal solid wastes (MSW) cause the highest proportion in the total

waste each year. Wastes are sent to landfill or recycled at the end. The most common consequence is health risk, involving

contamination of soil and water by leachate from landfills and by emissions of toxic materials from incinerators (Gochfeld,

2010). Solid waste disposed in landfill usually incurred many complex biochemical and physical processes, which lead to the

production of both liquid and gaseous emissions (International Waste Working Group). Generally, waste disposal leads to

environmental resource base damage, global warming and so on. Because the respondents reach the MSW most in their daily

life, consequences of MSW would be mainly discussed in the following.

Among the 50 respondents, greenhouse gas emissions and pollution of extracting and refining petroleum or natural gas are

chosen by 38 and 28 respondents respectively. It could be suggested that most of the respondents know that global warming

and environmental resource base damages are the consequences of plastic bag waste. Nearly 30% of respondents said marine

animals are also affected. Consequently, plastic bag wastes may affect the environment, natural resources and organisms, both

human and animals.

2.2 Recycling

2.2.1 Introduction to recycling

Recycling is one of the most rapidly and successfully evolving procedures of environmental conservation. The increasing

environmental awareness caused by the green movement has led to changes in attitude towards our traditionally wasteful

society (Lui, 2010). In fact, the government, waste producers and consumers should take the responsibilities to deal with the

waste problems and maintain a better environment for the next generation. The first recycling scheme issued in Hong Kong

was in 1998. According to Lui, the “Waste Reduction Framework Plan was launched, which adopted recycling as one of the

major elements for waste policy”.

Two major types of barriers to waste recycling and reduction are technical barriers and psychological barriers. Technical

barriers include lack of appropriate information or conveniently located bins. Psychological barriers include the attitude of

being troubled, and that too little waste was involved to be worth the effort (Chung and Poon, 1995).

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5. Blending primary data into academic discussion

One essential skill in Report writing to make connections between primary data (data you have gathered)

and secondary data (data collected through someone else’s research).

(i) Identify examples of primary data and secondary data in the excerpt below.

(i) Read the excerpt below and underline the section(s) where the writer has made connections

between their data and that of other researchers.

2.1.2 Excessive use and disposal of plastic bags

It is a common knowledge that plastic bags are not environmentally friendly. However, according to the

Environmental Protection Department statistics, around 23 million plastic bags end up in our landfills each day in

2008. This indicates that many people say they are willing to protect the environment, but in fact, they aren’t.

The root problem probably is the local culture (Lung, 2008). People usually think protecting the environment is

not their business. It directly demonstrates that the government does not sufficiently promote recycling

campaigns and needs to put more emphasis on conservation education to change people’s perceptions. According

to the survey results conducted by Friends of the Earth (HK) in 2006, over half of the respondents said

convenience is that main reason of using disposable plastic bags. Surprisingly, almost 20% of respondents said

they had no other choice if they didn’t use the disposables. The above results revealed that the environmental

consciousness among Hong Kong citizens is quite low.

Regarding the students surveyed, from Figure 2.1, almost half of the respondents use plastic bags 1 – 3 times per

week, closely followed by around 30 percent who indicated 4 – 6 times per week. From the findings, it could be

suggested that many people use few plastic bags per week. However, compared to the fact that the enormous

amount of the plastic bags are sent to the landfill, it probably reveals that the plastic bags are rarely recycled.

This is consistent with the results of survey released by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University at June, 2010

regarding the consumers’ attitudes towards the eco-impact of shopping bags, in which around 40% of the

respondents only recycle 1 – 10% of the plastic bags they use.

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6. The Conclusion

Write a conclusion that goes beyond a summary and repetition of your main findings. It should discuss in

reasonable depth the significance of the data you have gathered. You can do this by providing the facts

(statistical evidence) alongside your own observations.

(i) Underline the observations the writers made in the extract below.

Conclusion

In this research, we have tried to evaluate behavior and attitudes towards waste and recycling among HKU

SPACE Community College students. The data collected has revealed their attitudes towards waste disposals,

mainly regarding municipal solid waste and their environmental consciousnesses.

The research shows that students are more aware of environmental conservation, evidenced by their active

participation in different kinds of recycling programmes. Although most of the students try to reduce waste

disposal and bring recycle bags with them, there is still room for improvement because more than half of the

students recycle MSW less than 5 times per week. Generally, students are aware of the consequences of improper

waste disposal and the advantages of recycling. The majority of students are concerned about the recycling

policy, for instance, the environmental levy on plastic bags. It indirectly reveals that many students understand

they are responsible to improve the environment and recycle the wastes, but they do not take action. It seems that

the student’s environmental consciousness is rising and consequently, the recovery rate of recyclables will

gradually increase in the coming year. The survey reveals that students are becoming particularly aware of

unnecessary packaging.

As recycling has become a hot issue recently, affecting all people in Hong Kong, several recommendations on

how the government and students can raise efficiency of the recycling programs and the environmental

consciousness respectively are provided in the next section.

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7. Recommendations

(i) Why do you think the writer has referred to secondary research in her recommendations (below)

Recommendations

4.1 Strengthen recycling policies in Hong Kong

If the government can take more concrete steps to spread the advantages of recycling, it would be more convincing to

encourage the citizens to participate in the recycling programme. Lui (2010) suggests the following methods to strengthen

recycling policies:

1. Define target group and size of population clearly in each program so that the participants can organize

themselves to raise cooperation levels.

2. Set up more collection points and recycling bins

3. Increase the information flow to let participants have updated information, such as provision of a monthly

statement stating the number of bags or how much recyclable materials are being collected.

4. Promote lesser known recycling programs through more channels

5. Use reward or penalty basis strategy to increase recycling behavior

Apart from the above methods, Maden (2009) also offers various suggestions. He believes that the government can limit

the production of plastic bags and increase the number of recycling bins in every building.

4.2 Increase home recycling

Apart from the above suggestions to the government and waste producers, students can also take action to become a

significant force in recycling. People all over the world suggest some methods on wikiHow websites; the following steps

may also help the consumers in Hong Kong to increase home recycling.

1. Study your local recycling options

Actually, the Source Separation of Domestic Waste recycling program has been employed in many housing estates.

There are even numerous recycling bins on the streets and shopping malls. Therefore, citizens in fact can easily

recycle their domestic wastes, including paper, plastic bottles, plastic bags and metal cans.

2. Gather and prepare your recyclables

It may be annoying to bring the recyclable domestic wastes to recycling bins every day. Therefore, people can firstly

collect and sort the same kind of recyclable domestic wastes together and put them into the recycling bins whenever

you like.

3. Take action and make recycling fun

People can treat recycling as a family pastime and enlist everyone to consider if something could be recycled instead

of thrown away. Sometimes, there are more motivation factors in a group activity than an individual action. The

effectiveness is also increased if the whole family recycles the wastes.

4. Talk and share about recycling

Students can discuss the benefits of recycling which include helping the environment and cutting down on your

household garbage volume with his/her family. This helps the family members become familiar with the various

classes of recyclables, including the various numbers on plastic. Therefore, students will get more knowledge about

recycling besides those from the government promotions and educations.

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8. References

(i) How are the bibliographic entries organised in the extract of the References section (below)

Lung, E. (2008, May 12). Green Group Finds HK’s Plastic Bag Problem Suffocating.

jmsc.hku.hk. Retrieved from http://jmsc.hku.hk/hkstories/content/view/617/3038/

Maden, A. (2009, 17 Nov). Bag levy hitting the poor. The Standard. Retrieved from http://

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp pp_cat=20&art_id=90631&sid=26115108&con_type=1&d_str

=20091117&sear_year=2009

No single solution to the problem of waste in Hong Kong. (2000, 25 March). info.gov.hk. Retrieved from

http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/200003/25/0325151.htm

Qiu, M. (2010, 4 June). Planet-saving bag not so eco-smart. The Standard. Retrieved from

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp pp_cat=11&art_id=99002&sid=28468228&con_type=1&

d_str=20100604&sear_year=2010

Qiu, M. (2010, 21 June). Green group calls for household trash tax. The Standard. Retrieved from

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp pp_cat=11&art_ id=99580&sid=286 508 56&con

_type=1&d_str=20100621&sear_year=2010

Siu, B. (2009, March 4). Million thanks as savings in bag for stores. The Standard. Retrieved from

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp pp_cat=30&art_id=79080&sid=2296 0

74&con_type=1&d_str=20090304&sear_year=2009

Siu, P. (2009, 3 Aug). Bag-levy bandits pile on plastic. The Standard. Retrieved from http:// ww

w.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp pp_cat=11&art_id=85717&sid=24802360&con_type=1&d_str=20

090803&sear_year=2009

Smith, S.E. (2010, Sept 28). What is Household Waste wisegeek.com. Retrieved from http://www.

wisegeek.com/what-is-household-waste.htm>.

Source Separation of Domestic Waste – Introduction. (2010, Nov 12). Environmental Protection Department.

Retrieved from https://www.wastereduction.gov.hk/

Time to Stop Disposables, Hong Kong people voice their opinions on the overwhelming use of one-off

disposable products. Friends of the Earth (HK), Retrieved from http://www.foe.org.hk/

welcome/geten.asp id_path=1,%207,%2028,%20150,%203155,%203166

Waste and Recycling in Hong Kong.(2009, Sept). HK Special Administrative Region

Government. Retrieved from http://www.gov.hk/en/residents/environment/waste/wasterecycin hk.htm

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. (2009, April 22). Frequently Asked Questions About

Plastic Shopping Bags.” Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved from http:// dnr.

wi.gov/org/aw/wm/recycle/issues/plasticbagsFAQ.htm#impacts

Zhang, J. (2009, April 12). No plastic bags everyday activity in Hong Kong. Groundreport. Retrieved from

http://www.groundreport.com/Lifestyle/-No-plastic-bags-everyday-activity-in-

Hong-Kong/