3 Research Topic and Hypothesis

How to Choose a Research Topic Dr. Colin Fu

Steps Area Problem Question(s) Reasons Hypothesis Justification

Steps Area Problem Question(s) Reasons Hypothesis Justification

A Research Problem What is the problem? What are you you trying to do?

Research problem Interests? Magnitude? Level of expertise? Relevance? Availability of data? Ethical Ethical issues? issue s?

Steps Step ±

Formulating Problem

1

Identify a broad area of interest in the professional field/area

Steps Step ±

Formulating Problem

2

Dissect the broad area into sub-areas by having a brainstorming

Steps Step ±

Formulating Problem

3

Select

the sub-area in which you would like to conduct your research through the process of  elimination

Research Question(s) What are the research questions you can / want to ask about the research problem?

Steps

Formulating Research Questions Step ±

1

What question(s) you think you can ask about the research problem? Why, what, who, where, when and how

Steps

Formulating Research Questions Step ±

2

Are questions in SMART format?

Reasons/Cause and Effects Step ±

1

What reasons you feel/think/know...

Reasons Step ±

2

SMART?

Hypothesis "A hypothesis is a logical supposition, a reasonable guess, an educated conjecture. It provides a tentative explanation for a phenomenon under investigation." (Leedy and Ormrod, 2001). Testable statement (You CAN test it)

Hypothesis Are the following statements hypothesis?

Hypothesis ±

Chocolate may cause pimples.

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Salt

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in soil may affect plant growth.

Plant growth may be affected by the color of the light.

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Bacterial growth may be affected by temperature.

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Ultra violet light may cause skin cancer.

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Temperature may cause leaves to change colour.

Hypothesis Why? ±

Chocolate may cause pimples.

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Salt

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in soil may affect plant growth.

Plant growth may be affected by the color of the light.

±

Bacterial growth may be affected by temperature.

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Ultra violet light may cause skin cancer.

±

Temperature may cause leaves to change colour.

Hypothesis Good? ±

Chocolate may cause pimples.

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Salt

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in soil may affect plant growth.

Plant growth may be affected by the color of the light.

±

Bacterial growth may be affected by temperature.

±

Ultra violet light may cause skin cancer.

±

Temperature may cause leaves to change colour.

Hypothesis All of these are examples of hypotheses because they use the tentative word "may. Can you test them? owever, H 

their form is not particularly useful  .

Hypothesis Why NOT useful? ±

Using the word may does not suggest how you would go about proving it.

Hypothesis Why NOT useful? ±

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If these statements had not been written carefully, they may not have even been hypotheses at all. For example, if we say "Trees will change colour when it gets cold." we are making a prediction. Can you test it?

Hypothesis Why NOT useful? ±

±

Or if we write, "Ultraviolet light causes skin cancer." could be a conclusion. Can you test it?

Hypothesis One way to prevent making such easy mistakes is to formalize the form of the hypothesis.

Hypothesis a question, "Does temperature affect fermentation?" a conditional statement, "Temperature may affect fermentation." an If, then statement, "If  fermentation rate is related to temperature, then increasing the temperature will  increase gas production." (http://www.accessexcellence.org/21st/TL/filson/formathypo.html)

Hypothesis You will perform a test of how two variables might be related. This is when you are doing a real experiment. You are testing variables.

Hypothesis What are the TWO variables here? ±

fermentation rate is related to temperature, "If  increase gas then increasing the temperature will  production."

Hypothesis Example ±

skin cancer is related to ultraviolet light , then If  people with a high exposure to uv light will  have a higher frequency of skin cancer

Hypothesis Example ±

skin cancer is related to genetic, then people If  with a skin cancer blood line will  have a higher frequency of skin cancer

Hypothesis Example ±

People exposed to high frequency of uv light will get skin cancer

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Good or Bad?

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Hypothesis or Prediction?

Hypothesis Example ±

In November many trees undergo colour changes in their leaves and the average daily temperatures are dropping.

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Are these two events connected?

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How?

Hypothesis Example ±

If  leaf colour change is related to temperature , then exposing plants to low temperatures will  result in changes in leaf colour  .

Hypothesis Hypothesis? ±

"If  I play the lottery, then I will get rich.

Why?

Hypothesis Prediction But not all if-then statements are hypotheses Can you test it?

Hypothesis f  i  the frequency of winning is related to frequency of buying lottery tickets, then... 

"Then" is followed by a prediction of what will  happen if you increase or decrease the frequency of buying lottery tickets. If you always ask yourself that if one thing is related to another, then you should be able to test it.

Hypothesis "If I eat chocolate, then I will get pimples. What is this?

Hypothesis Formalized hypotheses contain two variables. One is "independent" and the other is "dependent." The independent variable is the one you, the "scientist" control and the dependent variable is the one that you observe and/or measure the results.

Hypothesis Make the following into HYPOTHESIS (dependent/independent variables): ±

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±

±

±

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Chocolate may cause pimples. Salt in soil may affect plant growth. Plant growth may be affected by the color of the light. Bacterial growth may be affected by temperature. Ultra violet light may cause skin cancer. Temperature may cause leaves to change colour.

Hypothesis What hypothesis IS NOT... ±

±

A hypothesis is never proved or disproved To prove or disprove a hypothesis is bias and not  (Leedy and Ormrod, 2001) impartial 

Hypothesis What hypothesis IS... ±

reject  Research is to support  of  a hypothesis

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If  rejected, a new hypothesis is needed

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If  supported, hypothesis becomes continually  theory

Homework Justify your choice Type them up and submit!

Theory "an organized body of concepts and principles intended to explain a particular phenomenon"(Leedy and Ormrod, 2001)

Theory vs Hypothesis A theory is similar to a hypothesis in that it offers a tentative explanation for a phenomenon that new data will either support or not support.

Theory vs Hypothesis Both are supported or rejected based on testing by various investigators under different conditions.

Theory vs Hypothesis An example of a well known theory is Einstein's theory of relativity (Leedy and Ormrod, 2001).

Law A theory that is continually validated over time by a growing body of data becomes a . law 

Law An example of a well known law is the law of  gravity (Leedy and Ormrod, 2001).