One of the most essential skills in your education career might be learning how to write a hypothesis. Writing a good hypothesis is an important skill, because a hypothesis is the basis of most research and experimenting. No matter if you’re in high school or doing your PhD, you will always encounter the need to create a hypothesis.
In this article we will introduce you to what a hypothesis is and how to write a good hypothesis. There are many aspects, depending on what it is needed for and what level you are at. But this basic guide should help you get started. So let’s get into it.
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What Is A Hypothesis?
So, what is a hypothesis?
In simple terms, a hypothesis is a statement that you can test through scientific research.
It is important that you jot down a hypothesis before carrying out the experiment and collecting data. This article will teach you how to write a hypothesis professionally when you need writing help.
A typical example of a hypothesis is:
An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
Through scientific research, we can then prove whether eating apples daily can keep you healthier. Therefore, a hypothesis is simply a prediction of what your research will unearth. It is an answer that has yet to undergo testing to prove whether it is correct or not.
Depending on the research project that you’re handling, you might need more than one hypothesis. But note that with writing a hypothesis, you’re not just guessing. It is actually based on knowledge and theories. Another quality of a strong hypothesis is that it should be testable. You should, hence, be able to support or refute it through observations, experiments, and even statistical analysis of data.
Variables In Hypotheses
A hypothesis gives us the relationship between two or more variables.
A dependent variable is something that you can measure and observe. On the other hand, an independent variable is something that you can control or change.
A sample of what we’re saying here is: More exposure to the sun can increase happiness. In this case, the dependent variable is increased happiness whereas the independent variable is exposure to the sun.
Forming A Hypothesis
When you want to create a hypothesis, there are certain steps that you should follow. Here they are:
- Ask a Question
Writing a hypothesis will certainly start with coming up with the research question that you’d want to study and investigate. The question you create should hit the nail on the head. It should be focused and researchable. For instance:Does a student who pays attention to teachers in class get top marks?
- Carry Out Preliminary Research
The initial answer that you give to the question above should match what is already out there. That is why you need to identify previous studies and theories so that you can create informed and relevant assumptions about what you will discover during your research. It is at this moment that a conceptual framework becomes of greater good to you. It will help you note down the variables that you’ll study and the relationships between them. - Formulate Hypothesis
Now that you have a rough idea about what the research will lead you to, write your initial answer in a straightforward sentence. Based on the example we gave above, an appropriate answer would be:Paying attention in class gets you top marks.
- Refine Your Hypothesis
Indeed, you should ensure that your hypothesis can be tested and is straightforward. There are so many ways that you can use to phrase a hypothesis. Nonetheless, all of the terms that you use need to have clear definitions. The hypothesis needs to have:- A predicted outcome.
- The specific group under study.
- Relevant variables.
- Phrase Your Hypothesis
When you want to note down the variables, come up with a simple prediction. The first part of the sentence should have the independent variable, while the second has the dependent variable. For instance:If a student pays close attention to teachers, then they will attain top marks.
For academic research, you need to phrase a hypothesis based on correlations or effects. For example:
The way a student pays attention to teachers in class has a positive effect on their grades.
In case you’re even comparing two groups (students who pay attention vs. students who don’t pay attention), the hypothesis should go further to state the difference that you can expect between them. For instance:
Students who pay attention in class perform better than students who don’t pay attention in class.
- Write a Null Hypothesis
In case your research utilizes a statistically testable hypothesis, you will need to write a null hypothesis. So what is a null hypothesis? Of course we gill over it later on in the text when giving hypothesis examples. But briefly, a null hypothesis is the default position that there isn’t an association between the variables. A good example in this case is:Paying attention in class by a student has no effect on their grades and performance in school.
The alternative hypothesis would be:
Paying attention in class by a student has a positive effect on their grades and performance.
Examples Of Hypotheses
Now that you’ve seen how to write a good hypothesis, it would only be in order to show you some examples of hypotheses. Based on the kind of research that you’re undertaking, your hypothesis will fall under the following categories:
- Statistical Hypothesis
In a statistical hypothesis, you only test a sample of a population. Thereafter, you will apply statistical evidence to the results that you’ve achieved. This will then help to come up with a conclusion about the whole population. Therefore, rather than testing everything, you only test a portion and then generalize the rest based on the results of this portion. For instance:The birth gender ratio of males to females in humans is 1.05 to 1.00.
- Empirical Hypothesis
Otherwise known as a working hypothesis, this is a hypothesis still under testing. They depend on concrete data. For instance:Staying clean can help to reduce infections.
- Logical Hypothesis
A logical hypothesis points to a relationship between variables without giving concrete data or evidence. For instance:An alien in Jupiter would have a hard time surviving in Earth.
- Alternative Hypothesis
Abbreviated as H1 or HA, an alternative hypothesis is used together with a null hypothesis. It is more of the opposite of what the null hypothesis states. Thus, only one can be true. For instance:Plants grow better with rain water than tap water.
- Null Hypothesis
Abbreviated as H0, a null hypothesis suggests no relationship between variables. For instance:There’s no difference in plant growth when depending on rain water or tap water.
- Complex Hypothesis
A complex hypothesis suggests that there’s a relationship between more than two variables – two dependents and one independent or vice versa. For instance:Older people living in rural areas are happier than younger people living in rural areas.
- Simple Hypothesis
Last but not least in the example of a format of a hypothesis is a simple hypothesis. It suggests only the relationship between two variables – a dependent and independent variable. For instance:Your phone charges faster when it is off.
How To Make A Hypothesis Good
When writing a hypothesis for you science assignment, it would really help if you followed the guidelines below. They will help you in writing a good hypothesis. So, how should a hypothesis be written? Here’s how to make it the best:
- Respect for ethics: You can test so many things, but should you test everything? You need to avoid hypotheses with questionable experiments to maintain ethics and credibility. As a professional, keep away from taboo experiments or hypotheses.
- Professional language: Your hypothesis needs to stay simple and clear. Ensure that there’s no confusion nor ambiguity in your hypothesis. Readers will use it against your entire paper. If at all you want to check if it is straightforward enough, read it to your friend to see if they understand. This is how to write a hypothesis statement.
- Dependent and independent variables: Ensure that you define your variables clearly in your hypothesis. This is to create a better understanding in your readers’ minds.
- Testable prediction: When you’re learning how to state a hypothesis, testing is key. Most hypotheses are meant to be tested. The exception here is logical hypotheses. Therefore, if for instance you have a scientific hypothesis or any other that needs testing, make sure you’re actually in a position to carry out experiments on it before commencing. Then you can get to learn how to start a hypothesis.
It is best to choose a testable hypothesis that has an independent variable you can control and access easily. Otherwise, it will become a lot harder for you to carry out the research. But good thing there are expert writers online who can offer fast and cheap homework assistance for college students. You can take advantage of their assistance to help you get the hypothesis done and dusted.
Don’t Want To Write Your Hypothesis?
Sadly, we’ve come to the end of this article. Nonetheless, we truly hope that you have gathered all of the information you need on how to write hypothesis. We also hope that you now understand how to write a research hypothesis professionally. We have given you the instructions and format for hypothesis, and we believe that the many sample hypothesis in this guide have painted a picture of how your own should look like. Now the ball is in your court, but…you can still get assistance online when you need it – anytime. You can get help with college homework today if you contact us. Our expert writers will ace your hypothesis so you can get top marks!
