Hypothesis: (noun) an assumption or proposed explanation based on scant evidence that serves as a starting point for further inquiry.

Yikes! That appears to be quite serious (and a little intimidating too).

But don't let it frighten you. In layman's words, a hypothesis is a prediction about what will happen in your experiment or study.

This prediction will be made after you have finished some research but before you undertake your study or experiment.

Doesn't that sound reasonable? It's also not that difficult to learn how to construct a hypothesis for your awesome research paper. Here's what you should do.

How to Write an Excellent Research Paper Hypothesis in 3 Easy Steps

You must first choose a topic before you begin writing.

It goes without saying that if you have the option of selecting your topic, you should do so. After all, you'll be devoting a significant amount of time to this subject.

So, if your true passion is soils and sediments, don't investigate the water quality of a nearby river.

Have an idea for a topic? Fabulous! If you haven't already, read How to Choose a Research Paper Topic That Wins Big.

After you've decided on a topic, you can begin composing your hypothesis. Let's get to those three steps for writing a hypothesis for an Excellent research paper.

Step #1: Read and analyze the current literature

Read the current literature

No, I don't mean literature in the sense of Romeo and Juliet. I'm referring to studies and scholarly works (such as professional journals and books) on your topic as literature.

Before you can write intelligently about a topic, you must first learn everything there is to know about it. Read what others have written about your topic to become an expert in it.

Remember, we're talking about scientific and intellectual material here, so don't expect Google to have everything you need.

If you must use Google, choose Google Scholar. Better yet, conduct your research using your school's databases.

To discover more about research papers, read How To Write A Research Paper to Assist in Writing a Research Paper.

Simply want to know the advantages of writing a research paper? See Benefits Of Writing Papers In College to Your Research Sources for more information.

BONUS RESEARCH TIPS

• When it comes time to compose your research paper, you'll need a thorough list of the sources you've used. Print or save documents as you research to keep track of your sources. That way, you may easily include them in your bibliography. (Hint: Taking notes is also a wonderful way to keep organized!)

• Remember that you may require both a bibliography and a reference page, or just a reference page. Because you're writing a scientific paper, you'll almost certainly need to reference all sources in APA format. (Ask your professor if APA is the preferred citation style for your project.)

• Even a bibliography and a reference page aren't always sufficient. Before you write your paper, your professor may request an annotated bibliography. This is essentially a formal list of sources, each with annotations that summarize and evaluate it. Read How to Write an Annotated Bibliography That Works to learn more about how to write an annotated bibliography.

Analyze the current literature

Take note of the types of trials and research that have already been done as you go through the literature.

You don't want to redo earlier research (unless, of course, you feel the study was somehow completed incorrectly or it failed to analyze specific information).

Look for new perspectives on the subject to see where you might add to existing research or create something entirely new.

For example, suppose you're researching sleep habits. You decide to concentrate on the relationship between electronic gadgets and sleep habits.

If all of the present literature focuses on teenagers and adults, but you can't locate any research on children under the age of ten, this could be your opportunity to create an altogether new study.

Step #2: Develop questions and look for answers

Begin asking questions about your subject once you have a broad idea of your research project in place.

These are questions that are unlikely to be addressed in the book you've just read. They are queries to which you expect to find answers

Here's a simple example. If you've read that teens and adults who use electronic devices right before bedtime have difficulty falling asleep, remaining asleep, and/or receiving restorative sleep, you might be wondering if the same is true for young children.

Based on this data, you could pose the following research question:

• Do children under the age of ten have trouble falling asleep, remaining asleep, and/or having restful sleep if they use electronic devices right before bedtime?

This research question is straightforward but effective for several reasons:

• It investigates a hitherto unstudied group of people.

• It is pertinent to children, parents, and society as a whole.

• It is testable.

Step #3: Write the hypothesis

The hypothesis is simply your forecast based on what you've already discovered through investigation. It's also what you'll put to the test as part of your research.

A hypothesis is frequently written in an "if/then" structure. If this occurs, then that is possible.

You will fail the class if you do not complete your research paper.

Here's another example relating to the use of electronic gadgets before bedtime.

According to the literature:

• Teens and adults who use electronic devices right before bed have difficulty falling, staying asleep, and/or receiving restorative sleep.

In addition, if your research question is:

• Do children under the age of ten have trouble falling asleep, remaining asleep, and/or having restful sleep if they use electronic devices right before bedtime?

Then your theory may be as follows:

• Children under the age of ten who use electronic devices right before bedtime will have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, and/or receiving restorative sleep.

Keep in mind that your hypothesis could be incorrect. It's okay to be mistaken in this circumstance.

If you notice that kids who spend an hour on their tablets right before bedtime fall asleep sooner and stay asleep longer, that's fantastic!

Parents everywhere will be grateful to you for figuring out how to get their children to sleep.

Remember that the purpose is not to prove your point. The idea is to put your hypothesis to the test.

If you are incorrect, the next stage is to restart the research process by developing fresh research questions, hypotheses, and studies. (However, we'll deal with that another time.)

Writing an Excellent Research Paper

It's one thing to write an Excellent theory, but it's quite another to write an Excellent research report.

What now that you've learned how to develop a hypothesis? What happens after you write your hypothesis?

Begin working on your research. You may need to conduct experiments or create survey questions before determining the best strategy to complete the study.

After you have completed the research, you must compose the paper. Here are a few resources to assist you:

• Your Guide To Using Harvard Reference Style (Cite Them Right)

• How To Write A Research Paper?

• Benefits Of Writing Papers In College

Remember: IF you need help with research paper writing and editing, you should send your work to a Study Help Me, expert writer, to ensure that it is genuinely kickass!