Otherwise, he would not have chosen to study Taiwanese history to begin with. Throughout his life, he maintained his tough Hakka spirit and academic independence, holding fast to his opinions and never compromising. He was greatly admired for his intellectual integrity.
戴國煇早年不畏強權，開啟台灣史研究，其後秉持客家人的硬頸精神與學術獨立立場，對其主張一以貫之而不妥協，知識分子的風範，令人景仰。