Developing a Hypothesis in Research

Developing a Hypothesis

• A hypothesis begins with a research question that is focused, specific, and researchable within the constraints of a project.
• The research question should be written in a clear and concise sentence, such as "Do students who attend more face to face lectures obtain better exam results?"

Formulating a Hypothesis

• A hypothesis is an initial answer to the research question, written in a clear and concise sentence.
• For example, "Attending more lectures leads to better exam results."

Phrasing a Hypothesis

• A hypothesis can be written in three ways:
  • In an "if...then" format, stating the independent and dependent variables, such as "If a first-year student starts attending more lectures, then their exam scores will improve."
  • In a correlational format, stating the predicted relationship between variables, such as "The number of lectures attended by first-year students has a positive effect on their exam scores."
  • In a comparative format, stating the expected difference between two groups, such as "First-year students who attended most lectures will have better exam scores than those who attended few lectures."

Writing a Null Hypothesis

• A null hypothesis is not explicitly mentioned in the provided text, but it would be a statement of no predicted effect or difference, such as "Attending more lectures has no effect on exam results."

Literature Review

• A literature review is a part of a paper that extensively references related research in a field, making connections between sources and positioning one's own work among them.

Synthesis

• Synthesis refers to combining multiple sources and ideas to create new ones based on analysis.
• It involves interpreting, understanding, and making connections between various pieces of information.

Writing a Literature Review

• A literature review should be an
• It should weigh up arguments and critique ideas, rather than just providing a list of what different writers have said.

Steps for Writing a Literature Review

• Step 1: Search for relevant literature on the topic.
• Step 2: Evaluate and select sources, reading abstracts and scanning bibliographies.
• Step 3: Identify themes, debates, and gaps, looking for trends, patterns, and debates.
• Step 4: Structure the literature review, using methods such as chronological, thematic, methodological, or theoretical.

Structure and Content

• A literature review should have an introduction, main body, and conclusion.
• The main body should summarize and synthesize sources.
• Tips for writing a literature review include:
  • Summarize and synthesize
  • Analyze and interpret
  • Critically evaluate
  • Explain yourself using clear descriptions
  • Vary the way you report data to avoid a single pattern of writing
  • Use correct tenses when writing about others' research

Purpose and Benefits

• A literature review provides an opportunity to:
  • Identify a gap in previous research
  • Outline the main arguments in a field
  • Show familiarity with the literature on a topic
  • Indicate who the main writers are in a particular area
  • Emphasize the timeliness of the topic
  • Evaluate previous studies
  • Position one's work in relation to other writers
  • Identify areas of controversy
  • Support one's own work by citing other authors
  • See what previous methodologies have been used and avoid making the same mistakes
  • Avoid plagiarism and demonstrate referencing skills

Length

• The length of the literature review should be proportionate to the length of the entire paper.