Development of hypotheses in research
When doing research, we are typically looking for some type of difference or change between two or more groups. Every study has two hypotheses; one stated as a difference between groups and one stated as no difference between stated as a difference between groups, our hypothesis would be, “students with prior work experience earn higher grades than students without prior work experience. In order to make research as specific as possible we typically look for one of two outcomes, either the null or the alternative hypothesis. While there may be a lot of gray area in the research itself, the results must always be stated in black and white. As surgeons become more aware of the hierarchy of evidence, grades of recommendations and the principles of critical appraisal, they develop an increasing familiarity with research design. Surgeons and clinicians are looking more and more to the literature and clinical trials to guide their practice; as such, it is becoming a responsibility of the clinical research community to attempt to answer questions that are not only well thought out but also clinically relevant. The development of the research question, including a supportive hypothesis and objectives, is a necessary key step in producing clinically relevant results to be used in evidence-based practice. A well-defined and specific research question is more likely to help guide us in making decisions about study design and population and subsequently what data will be collected and analyzed.
Of this articlein this article, we discuss important considerations in the development of a research question and hypothesis and in defining objectives for research. By the end of this article, the reader will be able to appreciate the significance of constructing a good research question and developing hypotheses and research objectives for the successful design of a research study. The following article is divided into 3 sections: research question, research hypothesis and research ch questioninterest in a particular topic usually begins the research process, but it is the familiarity with the subject that helps define an appropriate research question for a study. 1 the challenge in developing an appropriate research question is in determining which clinical uncertainties could or should be studied and also rationalizing the need for their sing one’s knowledge about the subject of interest can be accomplished in many ways. In addition, awareness of current trends and technological advances can assist with the development of research questions. Canadian institute for health research) encourage applicants to conduct a systematic review of the available evidence if a recent review does not already exist and preferably a pilot or feasibility study before applying for a grant for a full -depth knowledge about a subject may generate a number of questions. Additional research questions can be developed, but several basic principles should be taken into consideration. Any additional questions should never compromise the primary question because it is the primary research question that forms the basis of the hypothesis and study objectives.
It must be kept in mind that within the scope of one study, the presence of a number of research questions will affect and potentially increase the complexity of both the study design and subsequent statistical analyses, not to mention the actual feasibility of answering every question. A sensible strategy is to establish a single primary research question around which to focus the study plan. In a study, the primary research question should be clearly stated at the end of the introduction of the grant proposal, and it usually specifies the population to be studied, the intervention to be implemented and other circumstantial factors. And colleagues2 have suggested the use of the finer criteria in the development of a good research question (box 1). The finer criteria highlight useful points that may increase the chances of developing a successful research project. A good research question should specify the population of interest, be of interest to the scientific community and potentially to the public, have clinical relevance and further current knowledge in the field (and of course be compliant with the standards of ethical boards and national research standards). 1finer criteria for a good research questionffeasibleadequate number of subjectsadequate technical expertiseaffordable in time and moneymanageable in scopeiinterestinggetting the answer intrigues investigator, peers and communitynnovelconfirms, refutes or extends previous findingseethicalamenable to a study that institutional review board will approverrelevantto scientific knowledgeto clinical and health policyto future researchview it in a separate windowadapted with permission from wolters kluwer health. The finer criteria outline the important aspects of the question in general, a useful format to use in the development of a specific research question is the pico format — consider the population (p) of interest, the intervention (i) being studied, the comparison (c) group (or to what is the intervention being compared) and the outcome of interest (o).
1 the picot approach helps generate a question that aids in constructing the framework of the study and subsequently in protocol development by alluding to the inclusion and exclusion criteria and identifying the groups of patients to be included. Knowing the specific population of interest, intervention (and comparator) and outcome of interest may also help the researcher identify an appropriate outcome measurement tool. The more defined the population of interest, and thus the more stringent the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the greater the effect on the interpretation and subsequent applicability and generalizability of the research findings. Is the appropriate follow-up time to assess outcomeview it in a separate windowa poorly devised research question may affect the choice of study design, potentially lead to futile situations and, thus, hamper the chance of determining anything of clinical significance, which will then affect the potential for publication. Without devoting appropriate resources to developing the research question, the quality of the study and subsequent results may be compromised. During the initial stages of any research study, it is therefore imperative to formulate a research question that is both clinically relevant and ch hypothesisthe primary research question should be driven by the hypothesis rather than the data. 2 that is, the research question and hypothesis should be developed before the start of the study. Therefore, a good hypothesis must be based on a good research question at the start of a trial and, indeed, drive data collection for the research or clinical hypothesis is developed from the research question and then the main elements of the study — sampling strategy, intervention (if applicable), comparison and outcome variables — are summarized in a form that establishes the basis for testing, statistical and ultimately clinical significance.
For example, in a research study comparing computer-assisted acetabular component insertion versus freehand acetabular component placement in patients in need of total hip arthroplasty, the experimental group would be computer-assisted insertion and the control/conventional group would be free-hand placement. The null hypothesis for the preceding research hypothesis then would be that there is no difference in mean functional outcome between the computer-assisted insertion and free-hand placement techniques. After forming the null hypothesis, the researchers would form an alternate hypothesis stating the nature of the difference, if it should appear. The concept of statistical hypothesis testing is complex, and the details are beyond the scope of this r important concept inherent in hypothesis testing is whether the hypotheses will be 1-sided or 2-sided. The research hypothesis should be stated at the beginning of the study to guide the objectives for research. A research hypothesis is supported by a good research question and will influence the type of research design for the study. Acting on the principles of appropriate hypothesis development, the study can then confidently proceed to the development of the research ch objectivethe primary objective should be coupled with the hypothesis of the study. Study objectives define the specific aims of the study and should be clearly stated in the introduction of the research protocol.
Note that the study objective is an active statement about how the study is going to answer the specific research question. They are important because they not only help guide the development of the protocol and design of study but also play a role in sample size calculations and determining the power of the study. 7 it is the precise objective and what the investigator is trying to measure that is of clinical relevance in the practical following is an example from the literature about the relation between the research question, hypothesis and study objectives:study: warden sj, metcalf br, kiss zs, et al. To investigate the clinical efficacy of lipus in the management of patellar tendinopathy sionthe development of the research question is the most important aspect of a research project. A research project can fail if the objectives and hypothesis are poorly focused and underdeveloped. Designing and developing an appropriate and relevant research question, hypothesis and objectives can be a difficult task. The critical appraisal of the research question used in a study is vital to the application of the findings to clinical practice. Focusing resources, time and dedication to these 3 very important tasks will help to guide a successful research project, influence interpretation of the results and affect future publication 3tips for developing research questions, hypotheses and objectives for research studiesperform a systematic literature review (if one has not been done) to increase knowledge and familiarity with the topic and to assist with research about current trends and technological advances on the careful input from experts, mentors, colleagues and collaborators to refine your research question as this will aid in developing the research question and guide the research the finer criteria in the development of the research that the research question follows picot p a research hypothesis from the research p clear and well-defined primary and secondary (if needed) that the research question and objectives are answerable, feasible and clinically = feasible, interesting, novel, ethical, relevant; picot = population (patients), intervention (for intervention studies only), comparison group, outcome of interest, tescompeting interests: no funding was received in preparation of this paper.
This page on your website:Often, one of the trickiest parts of designing and writing up any research paper is writing the article is a part of the guide:Select from one of the other courses available:Experimental ty and ical tion and psychology e projects for ophy of sance & tics beginners tical bution in er 44 more articles on this 't miss these related articles:5example of a paper 2. Entire experiment revolves around the research hypothesis (h1) and the null hypothesis (h0), so making a mistake here could ruin the whole ss to say, it can all be a little intimidating, and many students find this to be the most difficult stage of the scientific fact, it is not as difficult as it looks, and if you have followed the steps of the scientific process and found an area of research and potential research problem, then you may already have a few is just about making sure that you are asking the right questions and wording your hypothesis statements you have nailed down a promising hypothesis, the rest of the process will flow a lot more easily.. The three-step process it can quite difficult to isolate a testable hypothesis after all of the research and study. The best way is to adopt a three-step hypothesis; this will help you to narrow things down, and is the most foolproof guide to how to write a one is to think of a general hypothesis, including everything that you have observed and reviewed during the information gathering stage of any research design. This stage is often called developing the research example of how to write a hypothesis a worker on a fish-farm notices that his trout seem to have more fish lice in the summer, when the water levels are low, and wants to find out why. His research leads him to believe that the amount of oxygen is the reason - fish that are oxygen stressed tend to be more susceptible to disease and proposes a general hypothesis. Is a good general hypothesis, but it gives no guide to how to design the research or experiment. There is some directionality, but the hypothesis is not really testable, so the final stage is to design an experiment around which research can be designed, i.
Is a testable hypothesis - he has established variables, and by measuring the amount of oxygen in the water, eliminating other controlled variables, such as temperature, he can see if there is a correlation against the number of lice on the is an example of how a gradual focusing of research helps to define how to write a hypothesis. If the alternative is rejected, then you need to go back and refine the initial hypothesis or design a completely new research is part of the scientific process, striving for greater accuracy and developing ever more refined hypotheses.. Take it with you wherever you research council of ibe to our rss blakstad on ch hypothesis - testing theories and hypothesis - the commonly accepted of a research paper - how to create the structure for e of a research paper - how to write a ch paper question - the purpose of the ign upprivacy paperwrite to conduct ments with to write a to write a shuttleworth 1. Take it with you wherever you research council of ibe to our rss blakstad on ch hypothesis - testing theories and hypothesis - the commonly accepted of a research paper - how to create the structure for e of a research paper - how to write a ch paper question - the purpose of the ign upprivacy on of program coordination, planning, and strategic initiatives (dpcpsi).