• A theory is the first step in any scientific project. It is a strong, short statement that will guide your study. A thesis statement is a short overview of your research paper, but this is not the same thing.
• A hypothesis's only job is to guess what the paper's results, facts, and conclusion will be. It comes from being interested and having a gut feeling. It's like making an informed guess based on scientific biases and data when you write a hypothesis. The scientific method then proves or disproves your hypothesis.
• Researchers do study in order to look into a certain event. In this case, a theory describes what the thing in question is. It does this with the help of two variables: one that is independent and one that is dependent.
• For an observation, the independent variable is what caused it, and the dependent variable is what that cause did to the observation. "Red and blue together make purple" is a good example of this. In this theory, the independent variable is the way you mix red and blue, since you choose to do so. The production of purple is the dependent variable because it depends on the independent variable.
• Based on data, a theory is a guess or hypothesis. This is the first step in any study; it turns the research questions into statements. It has parts like variables, the people, and how the factors relate to each other. These are the kinds of hypotheses that are used to test how two or more factors are related.

Characteristics of Hypothesis

These are the things that make up the hypothesis:

• For the theory to be accurate, it needs to be clear and exact.
• If the hypothesis is a relational hypothesis, it should say how the factors are related.
• The hypothesis needs to be clear and leave room for more tests to be done.
• The hypothesis should be explained in a very simple way, and it should be clear that how simple the hypothesis is doesn't mean it's not important.

Sources of Hypothesis

Following are the sources of hypothesis:

• The resemblance between the phenomenon.
• Observations from past studies, present-day experiences and from the competitors.
• Scientific theories.
• General patterns that influence the thinking process of people.

Types of Hypothesis

There are six forms of hypothesis and they are:

• Simple hypothesis
• Complex hypothesis
• Directional hypothesis
• Non-directional hypothesis
• Null hypothesis
• Associative and casual hypothesis

Simple Hypothesis:

It shows a relationship between one dependent variable and a single independent variable. For example – If you eat more vegetables, you will lose weight faster. Here, eating more vegetables is an independent variable, while losing weight is the dependent variable.

Complex Hypothesis:

It shows the relationship between two or more dependent variables and two or more independent variables. Eating more vegetables and fruits leads to weight loss, glowing skin, and reduces the risk of many diseases such as heart disease.

Directional Hypothesis:

It shows how a researcher is intellectual and committed to a particular outcome. The relationship between the variables can also predict its nature. For example- children aged four years eating proper food over a five-year period are having higher IQ levels than children not having a proper meal. This shows the effect and direction of the effect.

Non-directional Hypothesis:

It is used when there is no theory involved. It is a statement that a relationship exists between two variables, without predicting the exact nature (direction) of the relationship.

Null Hypothesis:

It provides a statement which is contrary to the hypothesis. It’s a negative statement, and there is no relationship between independent and dependent variables. The symbol is denoted by “HO”.

Associative and Causal Hypothesis:

Associative hypothesis occurs when there is a change in one variable resulting in a change in the other variable. Whereas, the causal hypothesis proposes a cause and effect interaction between two or more variables.

Examples of Hypothesis

Following are the examples of hypotheses based on their types:

• Consumption of sugary drinks every day leads to obesity is an example of a simple hypothesis.
• All lilies have the same number of petals is an example of a null hypothesis.
• If a person gets 7 hours of sleep, then he will feel less fatigue than if he sleeps less. It is an example of a directional hypothesis.

Functions of Hypothesis

Following are the functions performed by the hypothesis:

• Hypothesis helps in making an observation and experiments possible.
• It becomes the start point for the investigation.
• Hypothesis helps in verifying the observations.
• It helps in directing the inquiries in the right direction.

Characteristics of a Good Hypothesis

Writing a hypothesis is essential as it can make or break your research for you. That includes your chances of getting published in a journal. So when you're designing one, keep an eye out for these pointers:

• A research hypothesis has to be simple yet clear to look justifiable enough.
• It has to be testable — your research would be rendered pointless if too far-fetched into reality or limited by technology.
• It has to be precise about the results —what you are trying to do and achieve through it should come out in your hypothesis.
• A research hypothesis should be self-explanatory, leaving no doubt in the reader's mind.
• If you are developing a relational hypothesis, you need to include the variables and establish an appropriate relationship among them.
• A hypothesis must keep and reflect the scope for further investigations and experiments.

Finally, How to Write a Hypothesis

1.  Be clear about your research question

• A hypothesis should instantly address the research question or the problem statement. To do so, you need to ask a question. Understand the constraints of your undertaken research topic and then formulate a simple and topic-centric problem. Only after that can you develop a hypothesis and further test for evidence.

2. Do a reconnaissance

• It is best to do basic study once you know what your research will be about. Before you start putting together your study theory, read through earlier theories, academic papers, data, and tests. You'll get a sense of how original or useful your theory is.
• It is helpful to use sources from related research papers when writing a good research idea. You can look through SciSpace Discover's collection of more than 270 million research papers to learn more about studies that are similar to the one you're interested in. You can also use Sci Space Copilot, your AI study helper, to read any long research paper and get a better sense of what it's about. After reading a lot of these summed-up study papers, you can come up with a theory. Copilot also gives explanations for theories and equations, simplifies the explanations of papers, lets you select any text in the papers or clip math equations and tables, and helps you understand what is being said more deeply and clearly. This can help you find possible study holes, which can make the theory stronger.

3. Make a theory with three dimensions

• Variables are an important part of any theory that makes sense. So, figure out which variables are independent and which are dependent, and then make a connection between them. Making the assumption in the form of "if-then" is the best way to do this. Make sure that you write down the set link between the variables if you use this form.
• You can also show your theory in the form of a comparison between two factors. Here, you need to say what difference you think the results will show.

4. Make the first draft

• It's time to write your theory now that everything is ready. Start by writing the first text. This time, write down what you think your study will show you.
• Make the link between your independent and dependent variables and the variables that depend on each other clear. At this point, don't worry too much about phrasing. The goal is to make sure that your theory answers the question.

5. Show that your theory is true

• Once you have finished writing the first draft of your theory, you should carefully go over it. All of the boxes should be checked off, like being short, clear, important, and correct. Also, your last theory needs to be well-organized.
• As a scholar, you need to do research projects because they are fun and important. And once you have a research question, you need a good theory to start your study. Because of this, it is very important to know how to write a theory.
• You will find it much easier to write your hypothesis now that you have a better idea of what a good hypothesis is, the different types, and the steps you need to take. This will finally help your study.
• With Sci Space Discover, it's now easier than ever to make your study process run more smoothly. Its fully integrated, end-to-end research tool makes it easy for researchers to find, write, and share their work, and it encourages them to work together.
• It has everything you need, like a database with more than 270 million research papers from all fields, outlines that are designed for SEO, and public profiles that let people see your skills and experience.
• You can read about the best experts, papers, and schools in this field on our blog post about Statistical Hypothesis Testing if you liked these tips on how to write a study hypothesis.