Understanding the Concept of Formulating a Research Hypothesis

In understanding what a Research Hypothesis is all about, it has the following synonyms:

-Conjecture
-Supposition
-Speculation
-Postulation
-Postulate
-Proposition
-Premise
-Surmise
-Assumption
-Presumption
-Presupposition

If the word Hypothesis is too big to comprehend, then you can understand Speculation or Assumption. In other words, Hypothesis is an assumption made on the basis of limited information and subject to further investigation.

It is an unproved statement. It is a Research statement made by Researchers when they speculate or assume upon the outcome of a Research and Experiment while taking into account current knowledge, techniques and realistic means.

Hypothesis could be generated through:

1. Observations

2. Reasoning

3. Predictions

Hypothesis breaks down the Research problems into something verifiable, testable and falsifiable. Over time, Researchers have made the mistake of directing and formulating their hypothesis towards verification only. However, this is not the ultimate goal of Hypothesis. It is a test tool, it could either falsify or verify research problems through statistical and analytical means.

Hint: If you can not measure the Hypothesis you formed, then you better cancel it and form a new one because it can not be verified or falsified.

Typically, it takes the form of an if-then statement so that you can test it with your research. It recognizes what you do and what will happen.

Example should look like this:

Hypothesis 1: If government becomes directly involved in Education, then Students’ Performance will increase’

Analyzing Hypothesis 1 above, “If government becomes directly…then Students’ performance…” It creates a prediction we can test by increasing government spending on education and then see if Students will perform better. This hypothesis can be proven correct or incorrect based on the outcome of students performance in school. If their performance does not change, then the hypothesis is incorrect hence, rejected. Performance and Money earlier invested can be measured. So this is a valid hypothesis.