It is an assumption written in a clear, concise manner about what you think will

happen in your project. A good hypothesis will provide direction for your project
and will help to keep your investigate focused. A hypothesis is to be stated simply
and concisely. It is critical for your project and must be testable. Ultimately you
will accept or reject your hypothesis.
for example
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 color.
Hypothesis is just a guess and prediction about your experiment =]

an example is that taller people have larger handspans.

and the length between your elbow and wrist is the same length as your foot or
shoe.

That is all wrong...A Hypothesis is written in an if, then, because format. It's also a
scientific guess.

Example:

"If soybeans are placed in a weightless enviroment, then their growth will be
negatively affected compared to soybeans grown in normal gravity enviroment
because seeds determine how to grow up through soil by using gravity."

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add to the conversation.

Social science research, and by extension business research, uses a number of different
approaches to study a variety of issues. This research may be a very informal, simple process or
it may be a formal, somewhat sophisticated process. Regardless of the type of process, all
research begins with a generalized idea in the form of a research question or a hypothesis. A
research question usually is posed in the beginning of a research effort or in a specific area of
study that has had little formal research. A research question may take the form of a basic
question about some issue or phenomena or a question about the relationship between two or
more variables. For example, a research question might be: "Do flexible work hours improve
employee productivity?" Another question might be: "How do flexible hours influence
employees' work?"

A hypothesis differs from a research question; it is more specific and makes a prediction. It is a
tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables. The major difference
between a research question and a hypothesis is that a hypothesis predicts an experimental
outcome. For example, a hypothesis might state: "There is a positive relationship between the
availability of flexible work hours and employee productivity."

Hypotheses provide the following benefits:

1. They determine the focus and direction for a research effort.

2. Their development forces the researcher to clearly state the purpose of the research
activity.
3. They determine what variables will not be considered in a study, as well as those that will
be considered.
4. They require the researcher to have an operational definition of the variables of interest.

The worth of a hypothesis often depends on the researcher's skills. Since the hypothesis is the
basis of a research study, it is necessary for the hypothesis be developed with a great deal of
thought and contemplation. There are basic criteria to consider when developing a hypothesis, in
order to ensure that it meets the needs of the study and the researcher. A good hypothesis should:

1. Have logical consistency. Based on the current research literature and knowledge base,
does this hypothesis make sense?
2. Be in step with the current literature and/or provide a good basis for any differences.
Though it does not have to support the current body of literature, it is necessary to
provide a good rationale for stepping away from the mainstream.
3. Be testable. If one cannot design the means to conduct the research, the hypothesis means
nothing.
4. Be stated in clear and simple terms in order to reduce confusion.