difference between research questions hypothesis

Research Question vs Hypothesis: What’s the Difference? The following are the differences between a research question and a hypothesis. We look at the differences in purpose and structure, writing, as well as conclusion.

A research question is the question the research study sets out to answer. Hypothesis is the statement the research study sets out to prove or disprove. The main difference between hypothesis and research question is that hypothesis is predictive in nature whereas research question is inquisitive in nature.

The research or clinical hypothesis, derived from the research question, shapes the study’s key elements: sampling strategy, intervention, comparison, and outcome variables. Hypotheses can express a single outcome or multiple outcomes.

Hypothesis and research question are both essential components of the scientific research process, but they serve different purposes. A research question is a broad inquiry that aims to explore a specific topic or problem.

While the research question generally articulates the primary inquiry or set of inquiries to be addressed in a study, offering a focal point for the exploration, a hypothesis presents a tentative, testable prediction regarding the expected outcomes of the research.

In a qualitative study, inquirers state research questions, not objectives (i.e., specific goals for the research) or hypotheses (i.e., predictions that involve variables and statistical tests). These research questions assume two forms: a central question and associated subquestions.

Four key components to a research project are the purpose statement, research questions, hypotheses, and research objectives. In this post, we will define each of these. Definitions. The purpose statement provides the reader with the overall focus and direction of a study. Both quantitative and qualitative research use purpose statements.

Develop a research hypothesis from the research question. Develop clear and well-defined primary and secondary (if needed) objectives. Ensure that the research question and objectives are answerable, feasible and clinically relevant.

In research, a research question is a clear and specific inquiry that the researcher wants to answer, while a research hypothesis is a tentative statement or prediction about the relationship between variables or the expected outcome of the study.

“A hypothesis is a conjectural statement of the relation between two or more variables”. (Kerlinger, 1956) “A research question is essentially a hypothesis asked in the form of a question.” “It is a tentative prediction about the nature of the relationship between two or more variables.”