What is a Hypothesis?
The research process begins and ends with the hypothesis. It is core to the entire procedure and, therefore, is of the utmost importance. Hypothesis is nothing but the heart of the research. In the research without hypothesis research cannot be service properly. Hence, hypothesis is very essential part of the research.
Hypothesis is nothing but the good way by which researcher finds his destination. A hypothesis can be formulated in several ways, yet it always performs the basic function of predicting the outcome of the investigation. The hypothesis usually occurs after inductive reasoning, in which the researcher performs a series of observations to form a theory. No doubt, sometime hypothesis may be a negative and some time it may be opposite. Means hypothesis is merely a hunch of the mind it may be true, or it may be false. A hypothesis ensures the entire research process remains scientific and reliable. Though hypotheses are essential during the research process, it can produce complications with regards to probability, significance and errors. A hypothesis is an educational guess/predication based on observations. On this account researcher is in present paper mainly highlight the significance of the hypothesis and its importance in research methodology.
Hypothesis is usually considered as the principal instrument in research. Its main function is to suggest new experiments and observations. In fact, many experiments are carried out with the deliberate object of testing hypotheses. Decision-makers often face situations wherein they are interested in testing hypotheses based on available information and then take decisions based on such testing. In social science, where direct knowledge of population parameter(s) is rare, hypothesis testing is the often-used strategy for deciding whether a sample data offer such support for a hypothesis that generalization can be made. Thus, hypothesis testing enables us to make probability statements about population parameter(s). The hypothesis may not be proved absolutely, but in practice it is accepted if it has withstood a critical testing. Before we explain how hypotheses are tested through different tests meant for the purpose, it will be appropriate to explain clearly the meaning of a hypothesis and the related concepts for better understanding of the hypothesis testing techniques.
Ordinarily, when one talks about hypothesis, one simply means a mere assumption or some supposition to be proved or disproved. But for a researcher hypothesis is a formal question that he intends to resolve. Thus, a hypothesis may be defined as a proposition or a set of propositions set forth as an explanation for the occurrence of some specified group of phenomena either asserted merely as a provisional conjecture to guide some investigation or accepted as highly probable in the light of established facts. Quite often a research hypothesis is a predictive statement, capable of being tested by scientific methods, that relates an independent variable to some dependent variable. For example, consider statements like the following ones: “Students who receive counselling will show a greater increase in creativity than students not receiving counselling” Or “the automobile A is performing as well as automobile B.” These are hypotheses capable of being objectively verified and tested. Thus, we may conclude that a hypothesis states what we are looking for and it is a proposition which can be put to a test to determine its validity
Role of hypothesis in research
- The hypothesis is the basis of any scientific investigation either in social sciences or pure science
- It is the axel of any Research process. All the research activities are oriented towards the verification of the hypotheses
- Apart from this role it also has a significant role in the formulation of theory, principle and laws
- It is also known as tentative theory and after the verification it takes the shape of final theory
- A theory emerges from a new hypothesis and this is then subjected to verification after the verification it becomes a new theory in its field of studies.
Hypothesis is usually considered as the principal instrument in research. Its main function is to suggest new experiments and observations. In fact, many experiments are carried out with the deliberate object of testing hypotheses. Ordinarily, when one talks about hypothesis, one simply means a mere assumption or some supposition to be proved or disproved. But for a researcher hypothesis is a formal question that he intends to resolve. Thus, a hypothesis may be defined as a proposition or a set of propositions set forth as an explanation for the occurrence of some specified group of phenomena either asserted merely as a provisional conjecture to guide some investigation or accepted as highly probable in the light of established facts. Quite often a research hypothesis is a predictive statement, capable of being tested by scientific methods, that relates an independent variable to some dependent variable.
These are hypotheses capable of being objectively verified and tested. Thus, we may conclude that a hypothesis states what we are looking for and it is a proposition which can be put to a test to determine its validity.