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Topic 2.7 of Research Design and Literature Review

Framing Hypotheses and Research Questions

How to move from a broad topic to a specific, answerable research question, and from a research question to a testable hypothesis — the bridge between the literature review and the methodology chapter.

~25 min total·4 quadrants of structured content

By the end of this topic, you will

Distinguish a research question from a hypothesis and explain the relationship between them
Apply the SMART criteria to evaluate whether a research question is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound
Write a null and an alternative hypothesis for a given research scenario
Classify a research question as descriptive, comparative, or explanatory and choose the design it implies

Quadrant 1 · e-Tutorial

Video lectures and walkthroughs

Video content coming soon.

Quadrant 2 · e-Content

Articles and case studies

research-methodology

Framing Hypotheses and Research Questions

A topic is not a research question, and a research question is not a hypothesis. Getting the distinction right before you design a study saves months of confusion later — and it determines what kind of evidence will actually answer your question.

12 min read

Quadrant 3 · Web Resources

Downloadable material and curated external links

Web resources coming soon.

Quadrant 4 · Self-Assessment

Test your knowledge — earn a certificate on first pass

Assessment coming soon.