A hypothesis is nothing but an idea that has the feasibility of being tested using scientific methods, such as experiments, statistical analysis or both.. the characteristic of a well-framed hypothesis is that it helps to identify the most appropriate experimental design that can be adopted and also the precise nature of the data to collect so that hypothesis testing can be done effectively. A good hypothesis helps to clarify and validate the research objective as it is an informed guess about how the experimental results would answer a research question.
Most of the research activities are planned to verify the hypothesis and not to find a solution to a problem. The researcher must understand the meaning and nature of the hypothesis as the researcher has to always plan and formulate the hypothesis at the beginning of the research itself.
The word hypothesis has been derived from two words Hypo + Thesis = Hypothesis. Hypo means something that is not sure or tentative in nature and is subject to verification. A thesis means a statement about the solution to a problem. In research terminology, a hypothesis means an assumption or proposition whose testability can be tested on the grounds of compatibility of its implication on the basis of empirical evidence with previous knowledge.
A hypothesis is a very specific and testable prediction in context to what you expect should happen in your study. A complete hypothesis is made up of three components
1) The variables
2) the population
3) The relationship between the variables
Characteristics of Hypothesis:
There are a few characteristics of the hypothesis. These are the main features of the hypothesis
i. Hypothesis are conceptual in nature
ii. They are declarative statements
iii. It has an empirical reference
iv. It indicates a probable relationship between two or more variables
v. It is a tool for the advancement of knowledge, consistent with present knowledge and conducive to further inquiry.
vi. The hypothesis can be tested, whether verifiable or falsifiable
vii. They are not questions or statements framed on moral or ethical grounds
They are more specifically skewed in nature rather than being general
It predicts consequences
Hypothesis are valuable even if they are proven false
Hypothesis if not framed well can bring down the quality of an entire research. There are certain qualities of a good hypothesis. Such as:
a. A good hypothesis is always in the form of a statement and never in the form of a question
b. It should be framed that it can be tested empirically, irrespective of it being right or wrong.
c. It should be as precise as possible in framing
d. The variables should be specified clearly in the hypothesis
e. One hypothesis should describe only one issue
f. A Hypothesis can be descriptive or relational in nature
g. A hypothesis should never be conflicting with the proven laws of nature
h. A good hypothesis should be amenable to testing within a reasonable time
Relevance of Hypothesis in Research
Hypothesis plays a very prominent role in scientific studies. Some of the key roles that hypotheses play in studies are
i. Hypothesis help in testing theories
ii. Hypothesis create a strong platform for investigation activities
iii. Hypothesis provides guidance to the research work
iv. The hypothesis at times becomes the fundamental of theories
v. They establish a relationship between phenomena in such a way that it leads to empirical testing of the relationship
vi. The hypothesis helps in finding the most suitable technique for analysis
Tips to create a good Hypothesis
a) Honing observation and critical thinking skills
The power of observation is the ability to identify those details that might be overlooked by others. Scientists have been able to discover a lot of fundamental truths by having the ability to critically and meticulously analyze certain observations Thus, a keen observation of events and reflecting deeply on things that catch your attention is important for framing a good hypothesis.
b) Building the habit to read scientific Literature:
A hypothesis is an outcome of existing theories and available knowledge. The more knowledge you have about your topic of study and if you have read popular science articles and research papers you are able to cull out a better hypothesis. If you are in the habit of reading scientific literature regularly, your attention will be drawn toward new and emerging ideas in research and also deepen your command of your subject matter. You will then be able to as original questions that create a fresh line of investigation. Once the question has come into your mind, you can read more literature and convert your question into a specific, focused, and testable hypothesis.
Understanding Variables
Variables are the crux of a hypothesis. It is very important for a researcher to understand the concept of variables The framing of the hypothesis happens around the collection of data for objects, features, events, and patterns. These are nothing but variables only and the relationship that can exist between them.
The dependent and independent variables are the two types that the researcher should be clear about. The independent variable is the one which you can control while doing the experiment. The independent variable can be modified in various ways. The dependent variable is the one which you measure in your experiment to collect the data. When you alter or change the dependent variable, your research question also changes. Hence, an explicit understanding of variables and their relationship is significant to create a hypothesis that is workable and stays in line with the original query.
Application of the If/Then format
The researcher must have a clear understanding of the application of the If/then format in framing the hypothesis. It is suggestive of the underlying concept of a cause-effect relationship, where one variable impacts the other.
i. Fine Tuning of Hypothesis
The language of the hypothesis has to be clear and precise. Unclear hypotheses are ineffective because they do not indicate what specifically to consider and study. This can further create ambiguity in the data collection procedure. The research hypothesis needs to be narrowed down without ambiguity. The fine-tuning of the language of the hypothesis to make them precise, accurate, and focused is the key to developing a robust methodology.
Categories of Hypothesis
i. Simple Hypothesis: This is the most basic type of hypothesis. It describes the relationship between two variables. One is a dependent variable and the other is an independent variable.
Example: Drinking caffeine may impact sleeping patterns
ii. Complex Hypothesis: Complex hypotheses involve more than two variables. The combination can be either two dependent variables and one independent variable or vice versa.
Example: Caffeine consumption and vitamin C deficiency can both individually impact sleeping patterns in an individual.
iii. Empirical Hypothesis: The empirical hypothesis is tested on the basis of assumption. Further, whether the assumption is true or not is decided on the basis of the interpretation of the collected data.
iv. Null(H0) and Alternate (H1) hypothesis: A null hypothesis is the absence of a relationship between two variables, the reason for calling it a null hypothesis is that researchers collect evidence to nullify it. It is not possible to prove a null hypothesis, it can only be rejected. Because of this, it is always supplemented by an alternate hypothesis. An alternate hypothesis states the opposite of the null hypothesis. It is always advisable to design null and alternate hypotheses to get more reliable and precise results and to minimize the flaws in your research. In genuine research, proving an alternate hypothesis without disproving a bull hypothesis is considered an unethical practice. We say this because the results of experiments are never absolute but they are rather closer to approximation. Researchers cannot confidently prove an alternate hypothesis but they have to collect proof and evidence to reject a null hypothesis before proving the alternate one.
v. Statistical hypothesis: this kind of hypothesis is statistically tested on a fraction or subset of the population to generate findings and statistical evidence that can be extrapolated on the remaining population. The statistically verified hypothesis holds true even beyond the reign of logic.
vi. Logical Hypothesis: sometimes substantial evidence is missing when trying to establish a relationship between two variables and then this kind of hypothesis uses logic. Even in the absence of logic, such a hypothesis is often not rejected and considered.
Types of experiments that can be conducted under hypothesis
* Type 1: This kind of experiment has the possibility of a negative outcome that can reject or falsify the working hypothesis. It is one or the other.
* Type 2: These kinds of experiments are the most common to see. A positive result goes in coherence with the working hypothesis but the null result does not address the validity of the hypothesis. This is because there are many explanations for the negative hypothesis. These are known as extrapolations and semantics.
* Type 3: In this kind of experiment, it is not necessary that every result be informative because even if the results are consistent with the hypothesis, the findings are often consistent with other models.
The hypothesis should be formed in such a way that it can be proved or disproved by a direct experiment. Science further advances its scope by conducting those experiments that could possibly disprove the hypothesis. Increasing the efficiency and impact of science is possible by testing clean hypotheses along with well-designed experiments.
.Research Question Vs Hypothesis
It is easy to confuse research questions and hypotheses. They both have scientific differences. A research question, just like a hypothesis is focused and concise. The hypothesis does prediction based on the proposed research and is so designed to predict the relationship between two or more variables. The research questions are debate oriented because they are open-ended in nature. Hypothesis on the other hand is closed-ended.
A hypothesis is generally used when the research topic is already established and you are sure that there would be some relationship between the variables you are presenting in your research. The hypothesis is more suited for experimental research, hence they alter the design of the experiment. When we talk of research questions, they suit the kind of topics that have not been extensively researched and the relationship between different variables is not known. Research questions don’t make predictions, like hypotheses do but they do explore variables. They can be causal in nature, trying to determine if there exists a relationship descriptive or comparative between the variables.
Finally, let’s look at what not to forget when creating the hypothesis
Never break the rule of ethics when formulating a hypothesis. Consider the ethical boundary between what you can test and what you should test. Your hypothesis has to respect the scientific responsibility and adhere to the socio-cultural norms. Always define your variables clearly and precisely. Researchers are better able to visualize the experimental design when the relationship between the variables is well established. When you are setting the hypothesis, make sure that whether a cause-effect relationship is being explored or no is known to you. It is also important the researcher checks that the hypothesis is allowing him to experimentally manipulate independent variables. The hypothesis must be free from the use of technical terminology or jargon of any kind, the language that is used should be clear, concise, and simple in nature. Lastly, a good and valuable hypothesis is something that can add value to existing knowledge.
As a researcher, the hypothesis is something that you will have to create and use extensively in your research and you will have to learn to be good at it if you want to create worthy research that is contributing to your domain of study. Here is a quick checklist of hypotheses that can help you to know if your hypothesis is good or not and can you go ahead with your research
Is your hypothesis focusing on something that you can check
i. Both dependent and independent variables exist in your hypothesis
ii. The variables can be manipulated
iii. The testing of the hypothesis can be done without violating ethical norms in any way.
If your answer is yes to the above checklist after creating your hypothesis, chances are your research outcome should be constructive and contributing.