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How to Create an Effective Thesis Statement in 5 Easy Steps

Creating a thesis statement can be a daunting task. It’s one of the most important sentences in your paper, and it needs to be done right. But don’t worry — with these five easy steps, you’ll be able to create an effective thesis statement in no time.

Step 1: Brainstorm Ideas

The first step is to brainstorm ideas for your paper. Think about what you want to say and write down any ideas that come to mind. This will help you narrow down your focus and make it easier to create your thesis statement.

Step 2: Research Your Topic

Once you have some ideas, it’s time to do some research on your topic. Look for sources that support your ideas and provide evidence for the points you want to make. This will help you refine your argument and make it more convincing.

Step 3: Formulate Your Argument

Now that you have done some research, it’s time to formulate your argument. Take the points you want to make and put them into one or two sentences that clearly state what your paper is about. This will be the basis of your thesis statement.

Step 4: Refine Your Thesis Statement

Once you have formulated your argument, it’s time to refine your thesis statement. Make sure that it is clear, concise, and specific. It should also be arguable so that readers can disagree with it if they choose.

Step 5: Test Your Thesis Statement

The last step is to test your thesis statement. Does it accurately reflect the points you want to make? Is it clear and concise? Does it make an arguable point? If not, go back and refine it until it meets all of these criteria.

Creating an effective thesis statement doesn’t have to be a daunting task. With these five easy steps, you can create a strong thesis statement in no time at all.

This text was generated using a large language model, and select text has been reviewed and moderated for purposes such as readability.

How to Write a Hypothesis for a Dissertation

Types of hypotheses.

When writing a dissertation , it is common practice to develop a hypothesis based on the research a writer has undertaken. A hypothesis often predicts some type of relationship and it usually takes the form of a “research” or an “alternative” hypothesis. For the purpose of balancing the findings of a piece of research work, it is also necessary to create another type of hypothesis – a “null” one. This latter type serves the purpose of claiming the non-existence of a predicted relationship in a “research” hypothesis. Experts say that, when directly tested, the null hypothesis does not predict any effect, and the “alternative” hypothesis contradicts the former by predicting an effect. Additionally, the “research” type of hypothesis can take different forms. A knowledge base entitled Research Methods indicates there are “one-tailed” and “two-tailed” research hypotheses where, respectively, the first type specifies a particular direction (e.g., an increasing direction or a decreasing direction) and the second type specifies a change only rather than a direction.

Writing a Hypothesis

A hypothesis should be written before data is collected and analyzed. An effective hypothesis should be capable of being tested and should include a variable of the independent variety, which the writer controls. It should also have a variable of the dependent variety, which is measured or observed against the independent type. Say, for instance, you take as your independent variable the way the media reports on violence and the dependent variable as aggression. In this case, your “null” hypothesis might state that, “the way the media reports on violence does not affect aggression.” Therefore, your “alternative” hypothesis might state that, “the way the media reports on violence does affect aggression.” Likewise, to develop a “one-tailed” hypothesis, you may well state that, “the way the media reports on violence leads to an increase in aggression.” However, in all cases, it is important to ensure statements are short and to-the point. Additionally, you should keep the results that will be measured later on in your project in mind.

Hypothesis is important when your work should determine whether a certain prediction regarding the relation between variables is right. Oftentimes, they are presented in a form of sub-questions. Find out everything about writing a hypothesis.

Hypothesis Sample

Freshmen attend lecture more often than sophomores.

How to Use Hypotheses in a Dissertation?

It is significant to remember the following things when your dissertation contains hypotheses:

Hypothesis cannot be the main question.

The main question is the research question. Do not confuse it with hypothesis. Hypotheses can be presented in a form of sub-questions.

Preliminary research should be conducted.

When writing a hypothesis, you should understand that its task is state what you believe is true. Prior to stating anything, a research should be conducted. Pay attention to literature and problem statement.

Conceptual framework should be created.

Your research should be used as the basis that helps to create a conceptual framework. Here you need to show what you need to find while conducting a real investigation.

Form the hypotheses.

It is time for writing a hypothesis. You need to discuss each hypothesis in separate sections of your dissertation.

It is important to test the selected hypotheses.

Test the hypotheses to find out whether your expectations are right. In case they are not right, you cannot verify your hypotheses.

It is important to create null and alternative hypotheses. They will assist you to facilitate the testing. Below find samples of null H0 and alternative H1 hypotheses. They will help you to find out how to make a hypothesis

Hypothesis Testing

Dissertation experts say that both the null and research types of hypotheses should be tested against all possible outcomes so that only one is acceptable at the end of the process. This would mean rejecting the other. When all data is analyzed, you should be able to decide whether to accept the “alternative” hypothesis and reject (or not) the “null” hypothesis.

Finding Example Hypotheses

It is usual practice to test a number of different hypotheses in the course of completing a dissertation project. Much depends on the topic and discipline and the writer’s focus. One student, for instance, gave her dissertation the same title as her hypothesis, e.g., “Do Leadership Styles Differ at National, State, and Local Level among Those who Advocate on Behalf of Disabled People.” The independent variable in the student’s hypothesis concerned leadership and the dependent variable was those who advocate on behalf of disabled people. If you just look through a number of the dissertation titles published in any given year by a university or college, you should find plenty examples of different hypotheses and get ideas on ways to present these.

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Where to Put the Research Question in a Paper

Silke Haidekker has a PhD in Pharmacology from the University of Hannover. She is a Clinical Research Associate in multiple pharmaceutical companies in Germany and the USA. She now works as a full-time medical translator and writer in a small town in Georgia.

Of Rats and Panic Attacks: A Doctoral Student’s Tale

You would probably agree that the time spent writing your PhD dissertation or thesis is not only a time of taking pride or even joy in what you do, but also a time riddled with panic attacks of different varieties and lengths. When I worked on my PhD thesis in pharmacology in Germany many years back, I had my first panic attack as I first learned how to kill rats for my experiments with a very ugly tool called a guillotine! After that part of the procedure, I was to remove and mash their livers, spike them with Ciclosporin A (an immunosuppressive agent), and then present the metabolites by high-pressure liquid chromatography.

Many rats later, I had another serious panic attack. It occurred at the moment my doctoral adviser told me to write my first research paper on the Ciclosporin A metabolites I had detected in hundreds of slimy mashes of rat liver. Sadly, this second panic attack led to a third one that was caused by living in the pre-internet era, when it was not as easy to access information about how to write research papers .

How I got over writing my first research paper is now ancient history. But it was only years later, living in the USA and finally being immersed in the language of most scientific research papers, that my interest in the art of writing “good” research papers was sparked during conferences held by the American Medical Writers Association , as well as by getting involved in different writing programs and academic self-study courses.

How to State the Research Question in the Introduction Section

Good writing begins with clearly stating your research question (or hypothesis) in the Introduction section —the focal point on which your entire paper builds and unfolds in the subsequent Methods, Results, and Discussion sections . This research question or hypothesis that goes into the first section of your research manuscript, the Introduction, explains at least three major elements:

a) What is known or believed about the research topic?

B) what is still unknown (or problematic), c) what is the question or hypothesis of your investigation.

Some medical writers refer to this organizational structure of the Introduction as a “funnel shape” because it starts broadly, with the bigger picture, and then follows one scientifically logical step after the other until finally narrowing down the story to the focal point of your research at the end of the funnel.

Let’s now look in greater detail at a research question example and how you can logically embed it into the Introduction to make it a powerful focal point and ignite the reader’s interest about the importance of your research:

a) The Known

You should start by giving your reader a brief overview of knowledge or previous studies already performed in the context of your research topic.

The topic of one of my research papers was “investigating the value of diabetes as an independent predictor of death in people with end-stage renal disease (ESRD).” So in the Introduction, I first presented the basic knowledge that diabetes is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and thus made the reader better understand our interest in this specific study population. I then presented previous studies already showing that diabetes indeed seems to represent an independent risk factor for death in the general population. However, very few studies had been performed in the ESRD population and those only yielded controversial results.

Example : “It seems well established that there is a link between diabetic nephropathy and hypertensive nephropathy and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in Western countries. In 2014, 73% of patients in US hospitals had comorbid ESRD and type 2 diabetes (1, 2, 3)…”

b) The Unknown

In our example, this “controversy” flags the “unknown” or “problematic” and therefore provides strong reasons for why further research is justified. The unknown should be clearly stated or implied by using phrases such as “were controversial” (as in our example), “…has not been determined,” or “…is unclear.” By clearly stating what is “unknown,” you indicate that your research is new. This creates a smooth transition into your research question.

Example : “However, previous studies have failed to isolate diabetes as an independent factor, and thus much remains unknown about specific risk factors associated with both diabetes and ESRD .”

c) The Research Question (Hypothesis)

Your research question is the question that inevitably evolves from the deficits or problems revealed in the “Unknown” and clearly states the goal of your research. It is important to describe your research question in just one or two short sentences, but very precisely and including all variables studied, if applicable. A transition should be used to mark the transition from the unknown to the research question using one word such as “therefore” or “accordingly,” or short phrases like “for this reason” or “considering this lack of crucial information.”

In our example, we stated the research question as follows:

Example : “Therefore, the primary goal of our study was to perform a Kaplan-Meier survival study and to investigate, by means of the Cox proportional hazard model, the value of diabetes as an independent predictor of death in diabetic patients with ESRD.”

Note that the research question may include the experimental approach of the study used to answer the research question.

Another powerful way to introduce the research question is to state the research question as a hypothesis so that the reader can more easily anticipate the answer. In our case, the question could be put as follows:

Example : “To test the hypothesis that diabetes is an independent predictor of death in people with ESRD, we performed a Kaplan-Survival study and investigated the value of diabetes by means of the Cox proportional hazard model.”

Note that this sentence leads with an introductory clause that indicates the hypothesis itself, transitioning well into a synopsis of the approach in the second half of the sentence.

The generic framework of the Introduction can be modified to include, for example, two research questions instead of just one. In such a case, both questions must follow inevitably from the previous statements, meaning that the background information leading to the second question cannot be omitted. Otherwise, the Introduction will get confusing, with the reader not knowing where that question comes from.

Begin with your research purpose in mind

To conclude, here is my simple but most important advice for you as a researcher preparing to write a scientific paper (or just the Introduction of a research paper) for the first time: Think your research question through precisely before trying to write it down; have in mind the reasons for exactly why you wanted to do this specific research, what exactly you wanted to find out, and how (by which methods) you did your investigation. If you have the answers to these questions in mind (or even better, create a comprehensive outline ) before starting the paper, the actual writing process will be a piece of cake and you will finish it “like a rat up a drainpipe”! And hopefully with no panic attacks.

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How to Build a Strong Hypothesis for Your Dissertation

A hypothesis is a testable statement on which scientific research focus. Suppose you wish to investigate a relationship between two or more variables. In that case, you must construct hypotheses before you begin your experiment or data collection.

Building a solid hypothesis

Definition of a hypothesis

A hypothesis is not beyond a prediction about what your study hopes to discover. Therefore, it should tentatively address your research question requiring additional testing. However, many research projects may need several hypotheses to answer different aspects of your research question. A hypothesis is more than a guess; it may be considered “an educated guess.” It is because it highly depends on existing theories and knowledge. Moreover, as it must be testable, you can readily uphold or repudiate it with scientific research methodologies , including experiments, surveys, and statistical data analyses.

What are the variables in the hypotheses?

What hypotheses suggest are relationships between two or more variables. In any research, you have two variables: independent and dependent. An independent variable is what the researcher controls or modifies. In contrast, a dependent variable is what the researcher observes and measures. Suppose you have a hypothesis stating that “eating chocolate results in a higher level of happiness.’’ In this case, the independent variable is eating chocolate, which is the hypothesized cause. However, the level of happiness is the dependent variable, which is the assumed effect.

Building a hypothesis

Stage 1: inquiring about a question.

The first step in hypothesis building is penning a research question you wish to address. The question must have several traits, including being focused, specific, and investigable within the boundaries of your project. “Does internet access imply a higher score in exams?” can be a legitimate research question.

Stage 2: Conducting preliminary research

The background information about the topic relates to your initial answer to the question. Perusing previous research and theories will assist you in forming educated assumptions about what your research hopes to find. On some occasions, you may have to confront more complicated paradigms. Hence, building a conceptual framework is of utmost importance at this stage to specify the variables you will investigate and predict to find relationships between them.

Stage 3: Formulating your hypothesis

Now that you have covered the first two steps, you must have a rough idea of what you presume to find. You may declare that “high-speed internet access will result in higher scores in the exam.” Therefore, it is time you wrote your initial answer to the question explicitly and precisely.

Stage 4: Polishing your hypothesis

Securing that your hypothesis is specific and testable is highly crucial. To this end, the hypothesis should include the following:

The pertinent variables.

The definite group being researched.

The expected outcome of the experiment.

Many ways exist to state a hypothesis. Nonetheless, the terms you will use must have explicit definitions.

Stage 5: Stating your hypothesis

The first part of the sentence must state the independent variable. In contrast, the second part discloses the dependent variable. Academic research mainly focuses on correlations or effects. Then, you openly declare the predicted relationship between variables. Suppose you wish to compare two groups. In that case, the hypothesis can depict what difference you assume to find between them.

Stage 6: Penning a null hypothesis

Assume that your research includes statistical hypothesis testing. Then, you will have to pen a null hypothesis. The null hypothesis always states that no association exists between the variables. Stated differently, no treatment effect is present. We write the null hypothesis as H0. However, the alternative hypothesis is defined as H1 or Ha.

H0: The number of hours spent on the internet for an online class by first-year university students has no effect on their exam scores.

H1: The number of hours spent on the internet for an online class by first-year university students positively affects their exam scores.

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This article explains how to build a strong hypothesis for a dissertation or thesis. To give you an opportunity to practice proofreading, we have left a few spelling, punctuation, or grammatical errors in the text. See if you can spot them! If you spot the errors correctly, you will be entitled to a 10% discount.

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Choosing a topic for your dissertation or thesis at the end of your master's or doctoral study can become a daunting task. You must select a topic that you find interesting to work on. A dissertation/thesis is a crucial piece of work as it carries enormous credit points at the end of the master's study or postgraduate year. Therefore, you must choose the right and the most suitable topic. Here are some helpful tips for choosing a dissertation and thesis topic that suits you the most.

Writing a thesis or dissertation is considered the final phase of your Ph.D. journey. You must cover three to five years of study and research into your thesis. A doctoral thesis or dissertation is a long essay of knowledge and research on a specific niche that poses interesting questions and answers with your reasoning. Ph.D. candidates should carefully choose the study topic according to their expertise. This article explains how to write an impeccable Ph.D. thesis for outstanding results in 6 helpful steps.

The corpus research suggests that the most often used tenses in academic writing are the simple present, the simple past, and the present perfect. Then, what comes next is the future tense.

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GETTING STARTED
Introduction
FUNDAMENTALS

Getting to the main article

Choosing your route

Setting research questions/ hypotheses

Assessment point

Building the theoretical case

Setting your research strategy

Data collection

Data analysis

Decide whether to include research questions and hypotheses, or just one or the other

As a general rule in quantitative dissertations, it is more likely that a marker would expect you to have set out hypotheses (whether research or null hypotheses) rather than quantitative research questions. However, quantitative research questions and research hypotheses are designed to accomplish different tasks, which is one reason why it can be useful to include both:

RESEARCH QUESTIONS explain the purpose of the research. In other words, what issue or problem is the research trying answer? In terms of quantitative research questions, the type of research question (i.e., descriptive , comparative or relationship ) helps to explain the purpose of the research:

Descriptive research question What are the most important factors that influence the career choices of Australian university students?

Comparative research question What is the difference in student performance between teaching method A and teaching method B?

Relationship-based research question What is the relationship between gender and attitudes towards music piracy amongst adolescents?

RESEARCH HYPOTHESES explain the predictions being made (or otherwise) by the researcher based on specific hypothesis statements . These hypothesis statements set out what problem or issue the research is trying to answer, as well as their directionality , which help to explain any predictions being made by the researcher. Whilst descriptive research questions are better addressed in the form of research questions, comparative and relationship-based research questions can be restated as research hypotheses, as we illustrate below:

Comparative hypothesis Teaching method A will increase student performance more than teaching method B

Relationship-based hypothesis Adolescent females will have more negative attitudes towards music piracy than adolescent males

If your research hypotheses build on the research questions you have set, especially if there are multiple research hypotheses used to address a single research question, we would recommend using research questions and research hypotheses. However, if this is not the case, we would recommend using hypotheses rather than research questions ( NOTE: these are general rules and there is no 'law' to say that you cannot set research questions instead of hypotheses. Nonetheless, it's best to check with your supervisor if you choose not to use hypotheses).

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How to Write a Strong Hypothesis | Steps & Examples

How to Write a Strong Hypothesis | Steps & Examples

Published on May 6, 2022 by Shona McCombes . Revised on November 20, 2023.

A hypothesis is a statement that can be tested by scientific research. If you want to test a relationship between two or more variables, you need to write hypotheses before you start your experiment or data collection .

Example: Hypothesis

Daily apple consumption leads to fewer doctor’s visits.

What is a hypothesis, developing a hypothesis (with example), hypothesis examples, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about writing hypotheses.

A hypothesis states your predictions about what your research will find. It is a tentative answer to your research question that has not yet been tested. For some research projects, you might have to write several hypotheses that address different aspects of your research question.

A hypothesis is not just a guess – it should be based on existing theories and knowledge. It also has to be testable, which means you can support or refute it through scientific research methods (such as experiments, observations and statistical analysis of data).

Variables in hypotheses

Hypotheses propose a relationship between two or more types of variables .

An independent variable is something the researcher changes or controls.
A dependent variable is something the researcher observes and measures.

If there are any control variables , extraneous variables , or confounding variables , be sure to jot those down as you go to minimize the chances that research bias will affect your results.

In this example, the independent variable is exposure to the sun – the assumed cause . The dependent variable is the level of happiness – the assumed effect .

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Step 1. Ask a question

Writing a hypothesis begins with a research question that you want to answer. The question should be focused, specific, and researchable within the constraints of your project.

Step 2. Do some preliminary research

Your initial answer to the question should be based on what is already known about the topic. Look for theories and previous studies to help you form educated assumptions about what your research will find.

At this stage, you might construct a conceptual framework to ensure that you’re embarking on a relevant topic . This can also help you identify which variables you will study and what you think the relationships are between them. Sometimes, you’ll have to operationalize more complex constructs.

Step 3. Formulate your hypothesis

Now you should have some idea of what you expect to find. Write your initial answer to the question in a clear, concise sentence.

4. Refine your hypothesis

You need to make sure your hypothesis is specific and testable. There are various ways of phrasing a hypothesis, but all the terms you use should have clear definitions, and the hypothesis should contain:

The relevant variables
The specific group being studied
The predicted outcome of the experiment or analysis

5. Phrase your hypothesis in three ways

To identify the variables, you can write a simple prediction in if…then form. The first part of the sentence states the independent variable and the second part states the dependent variable.

In academic research, hypotheses are more commonly phrased in terms of correlations or effects, where you directly state the predicted relationship between variables.

If you are comparing two groups, the hypothesis can state what difference you expect to find between them.

6. Write a null hypothesis

If your research involves statistical hypothesis testing , you will also have to write a null hypothesis . The null hypothesis is the default position that there is no association between the variables. The null hypothesis is written as H 0 , while the alternative hypothesis is H 1 or H a .

H 0 : The number of lectures attended by first-year students has no effect on their final exam scores.
H 1 : The number of lectures attended by first-year students has a positive effect on their final exam scores.

If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

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A hypothesis is not just a guess — it should be based on existing theories and knowledge. It also has to be testable, which means you can support or refute it through scientific research methods (such as experiments, observations and statistical analysis of data).

Null and alternative hypotheses are used in statistical hypothesis testing . The null hypothesis of a test always predicts no effect or no relationship between variables, while the alternative hypothesis states your research prediction of an effect or relationship.

Hypothesis testing is a formal procedure for investigating our ideas about the world using statistics. It is used by scientists to test specific predictions, called hypotheses , by calculating how likely it is that a pattern or relationship between variables could have arisen by chance.

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McCombes, S. (2023, November 20). How to Write a Strong Hypothesis | Steps & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved November 28, 2023, from https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/hypothesis/

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How to Write a Hypothesis – Steps & Tips

Published by Alaxendra Bets at August 14th, 2021 , Revised On October 26, 2023

What is a Research Hypothesis?

You can test a research statement with the help of experimental or theoretical research, known as a hypothesis.

If you want to find out the similarities, differences, and relationships between variables, you must write a testable hypothesis before compiling the data, performing analysis, and generating results to complete.

The data analysis and findings will help you test the hypothesis and see whether it is true or false. Here is all you need to know about how to write a hypothesis for a dissertation .

Research Hypothesis Definition

Not sure what the meaning of the research hypothesis is?

A research hypothesis predicts an answer to the research question based on existing theoretical knowledge or experimental data.

Some studies may have multiple hypothesis statements depending on the research question(s). A research hypothesis must be based on formulas, facts, and theories. It should be testable by data analysis, observations, experiments, or other scientific methodologies that can refute or support the statement.

Variables in Hypothesis

Developing a hypothesis is easy. Most research studies have two or more variables in the hypothesis, particularly studies involving correlational and experimental research. The researcher can control or change the independent variable(s) while measuring and observing the independent variable(s).

“How long a student sleeps affects test scores.”

In the above statement, the dependent variable is the test score, while the independent variable is the length of time spent in sleep. Developing a hypothesis will be easy if you know your research’s dependent and independent variables.

Once you have developed a thesis statement, questions such as how to write a hypothesis for the dissertation and how to test a research hypothesis become pretty straightforward.

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Step-by-Step Guide on How to Write a Hypothesis

Here are the steps involved in how to write a hypothesis for a dissertation.

Step 1: Start with a Research Question

Begin by asking a specific question about a topic of interest.
This question should be clear, concise, and researchable.

Example: Does exposure to sunlight affect plant growth?

Step 2: Do Preliminary Research

Before formulating a hypothesis, conduct background research to understand existing knowledge on the topic.
Familiarise yourself with prior studies, theories, or observations related to the research question.

Step 3: Define Variables

Independent Variable (IV): The factor that you change or manipulate in an experiment.
Dependent Variable (DV): The factor that you measure.

Example: IV: Amount of sunlight exposure (e.g., 2 hours/day, 4 hours/day, 8 hours/day) DV: Plant growth (e.g., height in centimetres)

Step 4: Formulate the Hypothesis

A hypothesis is a statement that predicts the relationship between variables.
It is often written as an “if-then” statement.

Example: If plants receive more sunlight, then they will grow taller.

Step 5: Ensure it is Testable

A good hypothesis is empirically testable. This means you should be able to design an experiment or observation to test its validity.

Example: You can set up an experiment where plants are exposed to varying amounts of sunlight and then measure their growth over a period of time.

Step 6: Consider Potential Confounding Variables

Confounding variables are factors other than the independent variable that might affect the outcome.
It is important to identify these to ensure that they do not skew your results.

Example: Soil quality, water frequency, or type of plant can all affect growth. Consider keeping these constant in your experiment.

Step 7: Write the Null Hypothesis

The null hypothesis is a statement that there is no effect or no relationship between the variables.
It is what you aim to disprove or reject through your research.

Example: There is no difference in plant growth regardless of the amount of sunlight exposure.

Step 8: Test your Hypothesis

Design an experiment or conduct observations to test your hypothesis.

Example: Grow three sets of plants: one set exposed to 2 hours of sunlight daily, another exposed to 4 hours, and a third exposed to 8 hours. Measure and compare their growth after a set period.

Step 9: Analyse the Results

After testing, review your data to determine if it supports your hypothesis.

Step 10: Draw Conclusions

Based on your findings, determine whether you can accept or reject the hypothesis.
Remember, even if you reject your hypothesis, it’s a valuable result. It can guide future research and refine questions.

Three Ways to Phrase a Hypothesis

Try to use “if”… and “then”… to identify the variables. The independent variable should be present in the first part of the hypothesis, while the dependent variable will form the second part of the statement. Consider understanding the below research hypothesis example to create a specific, clear, and concise research hypothesis;

If an obese lady starts attending Zomba fitness classes, her health will improve.

In academic research, you can write the predicted variable relationship directly because most research studies correlate terms.

The number of Zomba fitness classes attended by the obese lady has a positive effect on health.

If your research compares two groups, then you can develop a hypothesis statement on their differences.

An obese lady who attended most Zumba fitness classes will have better health than those who attended a few.

How to Write a Null Hypothesis

If a statistical analysis is involved in your research, then you must create a null hypothesis. If you find any relationship between the variables, then the null hypothesis will be the default position that there is no relationship between them. H0 is the symbol for the null hypothesis, while the hypothesis is represented as H1. The null hypothesis will also answer your question, “How to test the research hypothesis in the dissertation.”

H0: The number of Zumba fitness classes attended by the obese lady does not affect her health.

H1: The number of Zumba fitness classes attended by obese lady positively affects health.

Also see: Your Dissertation in Education

Hypothesis Examples

Research Question: Does the amount of sunlight a plant receives affect its growth? Hypothesis: Plants that receive more sunlight will grow taller than plants that receive less sunlight.

Research Question: Do students who eat breakfast perform better in school exams than those who don’t? Hypothesis: Students who eat a morning breakfast will score higher on school exams compared to students who skip breakfast.

Research Question: Does listening to music while studying impact a student’s ability to retain information? Hypothesis 1 (Directional): Students who listen to music while studying will retain less information than those who study in silence. Hypothesis 2 (Non-directional): There will be a difference in information retention between students who listen to music while studying and those who study in silence.

How can Research Prospect Help?

If you are unsure about how to rest a research hypothesis in a dissertation or simply unsure about how to develop a hypothesis for your research, then you can take advantage of our dissertation services which cover every tiny aspect of a dissertation project you might need help with including but not limited to setting up a hypothesis and research questions, help with individual chapters , full dissertation writing , statistical analysis , and much more.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the 5 rules for writing a good hypothesis.

Clear Statement: State a clear relationship between variables.
Testable: Ensure it can be investigated and measured.
Specific: Avoid vague terms, be precise in predictions.
Falsifiable: Design to allow potential disproof.
Relevant: Address research question and align with existing knowledge.

What is a hypothesis in simple words?

A hypothesis is an educated guess or prediction about something that can be tested. It is a statement that suggests a possible explanation for an event or phenomenon based on prior knowledge or observation. Scientists use hypotheses as a starting point for experiments to discover if they are true or false.

What is the hypothesis and examples?

A hypothesis is a testable prediction or explanation for an observation or phenomenon. For example, if plants are given sunlight, then they will grow. In this case, the hypothesis suggests that sunlight has a positive effect on plant growth. It can be tested by experimenting with plants in varying light conditions.

What is the hypothesis in research definition?

A hypothesis in research is a clear, testable statement predicting the possible outcome of a study based on prior knowledge and observation. It serves as the foundation for conducting experiments or investigations. Researchers test the validity of the hypothesis to draw conclusions and advance knowledge in a particular field.

Why is it called a hypothesis?

The term “hypothesis” originates from the Greek word “hypothesis,” which means “base” or “foundation.” It’s used to describe a foundational statement or proposition that can be tested. In scientific contexts, it denotes a tentative explanation for a phenomenon, serving as a starting point for investigation or experimentation.

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