Institute of Water Policy
IPS Study on Perceptions of Singapore’s History

STUDY ON PERCEPTIONS OF SINGAPORE’S BUILT HERITAGE AND LANDMARKS


Synopsis

The IPS Social Lab is conducting a study to understand how Singaporeans’ perceptions of physical heritage influence their sense of national identity, national pride and personal well-being. It aims to gain a deeper understanding of what Singaporeans perceive as important landmarks and buildings in Singapore, and why. Such research will aid the planning and implementation of heritage conservation policies.

This study will be conducted in two phases — first, a series of focus group discussions (FGDs) in 2017, followed by a large-scale survey in 2018. 

This study is supported by the Heritage Research Grant from the National Heritage Board.


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Frequently Asked Questions

  1. How was I chosen for this study?
  2. What do I have to do for this study?
  3. How long will the interview take?
  4. Can I refuse to take part in this study?
  5. Will I be paid for participating in this study?
  6. Are there any risk in participating in this study?
  7. Will my information be passed to other parties?
  8. Who is conducting this study?
  9. How will the information that I give during FGDs be used?
  10. Why is the survey limited to people between the ages of 18 and 70?


1. How was I chosen for this study?

Your address was selected from the database of all residential addresses in Singapore. This sample selection service for household surveys is a public resource provided by the Department of Statistics, Singapore, for research purposes. We will interview 1,500 respondents who are Singapore citizens aged between 18 and 70 years old.

2. What do I have to do for this study?

You will be asked to complete a questionnaire that seeks your input on: (1) your knowledge of heritage sites in Singapore; (2) your thoughts about these sites; (3) your views on heritage conservation; (4) your rating on subjective wellbeing, and (5) your demographic information.

The questionnaires are available in three languages: English, Mandarin and Malay. The survey will be audio recorded for data verification purposes. The survey may also proceed without audio recording if you decide not to.

The interview session will be conducted as follows:

  • You will be briefed on the details of the study. See Participant Information Sheet here.
  • Interviewer will take your verbal consent.
  • You will be asked for your responses to the survey questionnaire.

3. How long will the interview take?

The duration of the interview will vary from one respondent to the next, depending on the respondent. Typically, an interview will take around 40 minutes to complete.

4. Can I refuse to take part in this study?

Yes, you can. Your participation is voluntary and completely up to you. You can also withdraw from the research at any time without giving any reason, by informing the interviewer and all your information and responses will be discarded.

5. Will I be paid for participating in this study?

Upon successful completion of the interview, participants will be given S$10 worth of vouchers as reimbursement for time spent on the survey. Incomplete interviews will not be eligible for the receipt of the vouchers.

6. Are there any risk in participating in this study?

You may refuse to answer any question in the survey. At any point during the interview, you may stop for a break. If you decide to discontinue the interview and withdraw from the study, your information and responses will be deleted from our database. You will not receive the S$10 reimbursement.

7. Will my information be passed to other parties?

Information collected for this study will be kept strictly confidential and stored under secure conditions. Your data and responses, to the extent of applicable laws and regulations, will not be made available to other parties. Only the Principal Investigator of Social Lab Institute of Policy Studies and data administrator will have full access to the data with personal identifiers.

8. Who is conducting this study?

This study is being conducted by the Social Lab, Institute of Policies Studies, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, NUS. It is supported by the Heritage Research Grant from the National Heritage Board, Singapore.

9. How will the information that I give during FGDs be used?

The data, without personal identifiers, will be analysed by researchers at the IPS Social Lab to gain insights into how old buildings and landmarks are viewed by Singaporeans. The overall findings and anonymised data will be shared with stakeholders in the National Heritage Board to inform future policy decisions.

In accordance with university requirements, all research data will be destroyed after 10 years. Personal details of respondents will be destroyed after the project is completed.

10. Why is the survey limited to people between the ages of 18 and 70?

This study aims to find out the different opinions and thoughts of Singaporeans. Age is a convenient marker to demarcate cohort and life-stage. Using age enables us to make informed, standard comparisons between people of different age groups.


Enquiries

For enquiries, please contact IPS Social Lab at 6601 3835/ 8877 9905 or decb64_aXBzLnNvY2xhYi5vcHNAbnVzLmVkdS5zZw==_decb64