Steps on How to Write a Hypothesis: A hypothesis is a statement that outlines the predictions and logic behind your research an “educated guess” about how your scientific investigations will turn out. A good hypothesis is carefully stated as an essential component of the scientific method, yet even the most basic ones can be difficult to express.
Do you want to learn how to develop a hypothesis for your academic paper? Below, we discuss the various types of hypotheses, what a good hypothesis requires, how to write your own, and provide numerous examples.
What is a hypothesis?
A hypothesis, one of our ten most important words for university achievement, is one of the first stages of the scientific process. It’s essentially an informed guess, based on observations, as to what your experiment or research findings will be.
Here are some hypothesis examples:
- If I water my plants every day, they will develop faster.
- Adults can guess temperatures more correctly than youngsters.
- Butterflies prefer white to orange flowers.
If you’ve discovered that watering your plants every day causes them to grow quicker, your hypothesis could be “plants grow better with regular watering.” From there, you can do experiments to test your hypothesis; for example, you could separate two plants, water one but not the other, and then record the results to see the differences.
The language of hypotheses always refers to variables, or the items being tested. Variables include objects, events, concepts, and anything else that may be seen.
Variables are classified into two types: dependent and independent. Independent variables are those that you can change during the experiment, whereas dependent variables can only be observed. In the above example, the independent variable is how frequently we water the plants, whereas the dependent variable is how well they grow.
Hypotheses shape the direction and organization of your following research methods, making them an important component of creating a research paper. Finally, the reader wants to know whether your hypothesis was proven true or wrong, thus it should be explicitly stated in the introduction and/or abstract of your paper.
What is a Good Hypothesis?
No matter what you’re testing, a good hypothesis follows the same rules. Keep the following five traits in mind:
Cause and effect.
Hypotheses always include a cause-and-effect relationship in which one variable causes another to change (or not change, in the case of a null hypothesis). This is best expressed as an if-then statement: if one variable occurs, another variable changes.
Testable predictions
Most hypotheses are intended to be tested (with the exception of logical hypotheses). Before committing to a hypothesis, make sure you can run studies on it. Choose a testable hypothesis using an independent variable over which you have complete control.
Independent and dependent variables.
Define your variables in your hypothesis to help your readers understand the broader picture. You do not need to specify which variables are independent and which are dependent, but you should surely list them all.
Honest language
Writing can become confusing, so keep your hypothesis as plain and straightforward as possible. Readers utilize your hypothesis as a contextual pillar to tie together your entire paper, thus there should be no confusion or ambiguity. If you’re not sure how to phrase your theory, try reading it to a buddy to see if they comprehend.
Compliance with ethical standards
It is not always necessary to test what you can, but rather what you should. To maintain ethics (and thus credibility), avoid ideas requiring problematic or taboo experiments.
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How to Write a Hypothesis in Six Steps.
1 Ask a question.
Curiosity has inspired some of history’s greatest scientific discoveries, so start by asking yourself questions about the world around you. Why are things as they are? What drives the factors you observe around you? Choose a research topic that interests you so that your curiosity is automatically piqued.
2. Conduct preliminary research.
Next, gather some background information about your issue. The amount of background knowledge required varies depending on the task. It could include reading numerous books, or it could be as simple as conducting a web search for an immediate answer. You do not have to prove or refute your idea at this point; instead, gather only what you need to prove or disprove it yourself.
3. Define your variables.
Once you’ve determined what your hypothesis will be, decide which variables are independent and which are dependent. Remember that independent variables can only be factors over which you have complete control, so think about the limitations of your experiment before making your hypothesis.
4. Express it as an if-then statement.
When stating a hypothesis, use an if-then approach. For example, “If I water a plant every day, it will grow better.” This approach might be hard when working with several variables, but it’s a dependable way to represent the cause-and-effect relationship you’re evaluating.
5. Collect data to support your hypothesis.
A hypothesis is only a means to an end. The conclusion is the most important part of any scientific investigation. Once you’ve developed your hypothesis and picked your variables, you may start your experiments. Ideally, you will acquire data to support your hypothesis, but don’t be concerned if your research proves it incorrect—this is all part of the scientific method.
6. Write with confidence.
Finally, record your findings in a research paper for others to see. This necessitates some writing skills, which are distinct from those required for experimentation.
Grammarly can be really useful in this situation; our writing suggestions highlight not only grammatical and spelling errors, but also fresh word choices and improved phrasing. While you write, Grammarly automatically recommends appropriate wording and indicates spots where readers may become confused, ensuring that your hypothesis and your final paper are clear and polished.