Hypothesis writing is among the fundamental elements of research papers on scientific work. Our article will guide you on what is a hypothesis and how to write one to give you a grasp of communicating the intent of your research paper. Your hypothesis must be relevant, clearly conveying the achievements of your research in a simple phrase to attract the attention of your target audience. It must neither lack a definition nor have a complex nature to avoid confusing your readers.
What is a hypothesis?
The hypothesis of your research is not merely a guess but rather it must be grounded on functioning knowledge and theories. It must also be testable to enable you to support or disprove it via scientific research. The hypothesis sets up the given phenomenon through both the dependent and independent variables. The independent variable is the main cause behind the observation, whereas the dependent variable is the effect of the cause.
Characteristics of a good hypothesis
Writing a research hypothesis is fundamental since it can either make or break your given research. Your hypothesis must have these salient features;
- Your research hypothesis must be simple but transparent to seem justifiable enough.
- Your hypothesis must be testable otherwise if restricted by technology or far from reality, it would seem pointless
- It must be precise concerning your results of what is a hypothesis —your endeavor and achievements must come out.
- Your hypothesis must be straightforward, leaving no room for doubt in your readers.
- When establishing a correlational hypothesis, you must involve your variables and develop a relevant relationship between them.
- Your hypothesis should consider its scope for follow-up investigations.
How to write a hypothesis
Follow these steps keenly to write a compelling hypothesis that will demonstrate your progress in your respective field of career;
1. Formulate the research question
Writing the hypothesis commences with the question on research that you need to answer. Your question must be concentrated, specific, and explorable within your project’s constraints.
2. Conduct preliminary research
Your original answer to your question must be grounded on facts about the discussion topic. Search for previous investigations and theories of what is a hypothesis to assist you establish educated assumptions regarding your research findings.
At this step, you can create a conceptual model to make sure that you are launching a significant topic.
3. Formulate the hypothesis
You must have an idea of your findings’ expectations on what is a hypothesis . Write the initial response to your question in an understandable, concise sentence.
4. Refine the hypothesis
Ensure your research hypothesis is testable and special. There are numerous ways of expressing your hypothesis, but every term you apply must have comprehensible definitions. Your hypothesis must include;
- The significant variables on what is a hypothesis
- The particular study group
- The experiment’s predicted outcome
5. Express the hypothesis in 3 dimensions
To recognize your variables, write an easy if…then form the prediction. Your sentence’s initial part states your independent variable whereas the second portion states your dependent variable. While comparing two groups, your hypothesis will express the differences you anticipate finding from them.
6. Write a null hypothesis
In case your research on what is a hypothesis includes hypothesis testing in statistics, you must write your null hypothesis. It emphasizes on lack of association between your variables. It is written in the form of H0, whereas the research hypothesis is Ha or H1
Sources of Hypothesis
These are examples of hypothesis sources that will sharpen your expertise on all hypothesis projects assigned by your professors;
- The similarity between the given phenomenon.
- Current experiences, past studies observations, and from your competitors.
- Scientific theories on what is a hypothesis
- General trends that affect people’s thinking process.
Types of Hypothesis
Base your research on these types of hypotheses for rich ideas that will boost your academic performance;
1. Null hypothesis
It suggests no connection between the two variables. Symbolized by H0, and is a contradictory statement
2. Alternative hypothesis
Perceived as the null hypothesis opposite, it is symbolized as Ha or H1. It specifically expresses that your dependent variable influences your independent variable.
3. Simple hypothesis
It is the statement established to manifest the relationship between two variables exactly. One dependent and the other one independent.
4. Complex hypothesis
In comparison to the simple hypothesis, it indicates the connection between multiple dependent and independent variables.
5. Associative and casual hypothesis
They don’t show the number of variables but rather describe the relationship among your variables. In the case of the associative hypothesis, altering any variable whether independent or dependent influences others. In a casual hypothesis setting, your independent variable influence directly the dependent.
6. Empirical hypothesis
Also called a working hypothesis and it claims the validation of your theory on what is a hypothesis through observation and experiments. By this, your statement seems justifiable and distinct from guesswork.
7. Statistical hypothesis
The statistical hypothesis tests an existing hypothesis through the study of a sample of a given population.
Formulation of hypothesis
Are you wondering what is a hypothesis formulation and how to go about it? Put into consideration these significant points when creating a remarkable hypothesis;
1. State the issue you anticipate solving.
Ensure that your hypothesis defines your topic of discussion and the experiment focus.
2. Write your hypothesis in the form of an if-then statement.
Follow the template; If a particular action is put into practice, then a sure outcome is anticipated.
3. Define your variables
It is the independent variables that are exploited, controlled, or altered. Independent variables are secluded from all the other study factors.
Dependent variables rely on all the other study factors. They are affected by the independent variable’s change.
4. Scrutinize your hypothesis
The research hypothesis types are indicated below. Explore them deeply to enable you to perceive what is a hypothesis before embarking on writing your paper;
- Simple hypothesis
It anticipates the association between one independent variable and one dependent variable.
- Complex hypothesis
It forecasts the relationship among combined dependent and independent variables.
- Directional Hypothesis
It states the anticipated direction to follow to decide variables relationship and it originates from theory.
- Non-directional Hypothesis
It doesn’t predict the accurate direction or relationship nature between 2 variables
- Associative and Causal Hypothesis
It describes the variables’ interdependency. An alteration in a singular variable result in the variation of the alternative variable.
- Null Hypothesis
It states the negative statement that backs up the findings of the researcher on what is a hypothesis that there exists no association between two variables.
- Alternative Hypothesis
It expresses two variables of the study relationship and the importance of outcomes to the research topic.
Difference between hypothesis and prediction
Use the following features to differentiate between hypothesis and prediction for a better grasp of what is a hypothesis;
Definition
A hypothesis indicates the explanation proposal made based on restricted evidence, as the commencement for further analysis. Contrary, prediction indicates a predicted thing or a prediction of something.
Interpretation
A hypothesis explains why a thing has occurred, while a prediction interprets what might happen as a result of the current observations.
Result
A hypothesis will trigger phenomenon conclusions to affect a theory, whilst a prediction will trigger a forecast or future assumptions.
Statistics
While the hypothesis is linked directly to statistics, the prediction, even if it can affect statistics, will only give probabilities.
Process
A hypothesis reverts to the event causes or to the commencement, while a prediction revisits the forthcoming event.
Nature
The testing ability is the other difference between prediction and hypothesis. The hypothesis is testable whereas the prediction can’t be tested before actual production.
What is the relationship between hypothesis and prediction
Scientific methodology is a significant way of leading scientists through research. The hypothesis is established from a question or a concept based on observation. The prediction is later formed, an experiment is conducted to test the process, and subsequently, the outcomes are evaluated and conclusions made.
Hypothesis examples
Study the following hypothesis examples as your learning aid to understand what is a hypothesis. These hypotheses are testable and explain the respective variables;
- Eating fatty foods causes more breakouts and skin fat.
- Eight hours of sleep triggers employees to be more productive.
- Organizing sessions on relaxation within the working days boosts employees’ happiness.
- Less than eight hours of sleep causes reduced productivity.
- Happier employees with their position will tend to work more.
In summary
In the course of your academic journey, you might be required to write a hypothesis for a given research project as part of your scholarly papers. It intends to predict an investigation’s outcomes that will be verified or disproved. Follow our guide on what is a hypothesis and how to write one to sharpen your skills in writing a top-notch hypothesis.
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