RESEARCH DISCUSSIONS

Research Discussions



Research Discussions

The concept of research hypotheses differs between qualitative and quantitative research

The concept of research hypothesis differs greatly between qualitative and quantitative research. However, before their differences can be discussed, there is a need to understand the concept of hypothesis in a proper way. The hypothesis is a proposed answer to a question. The organization of research around working hypotheses is a great way to carry it with order and discipline without sacrificing the spirit of discovery and curiosity. Further, a work cannot be considered a true research if not structured around one or several hypotheses. The hypothesis is based on theoretical knowledge and preparation of the phenomenon expressed as a non-free assumption on the behavior of objects studies. The hypothesis is a proposal on the value of a parameter, the law behind the probabilistic nature of the types of observation. This is a proposal or set of proposals, which is the starting point of the demonstration. (Denzin, 1998)

A hypothesis is a tentative proposal, a presumption that needs to be verified. It is an observation or experiment that is based on assumptions. When they are not explicit, they are implicit or even unconscious. The hypothesis can be presented as the anticipation of a relationship between a phenomenon and a concept that can account for it. It can also stand as the anticipation of a relationship between two concepts or, equivalently, between two types of phenomena they designate. The hypothesis will be confronted at a later stage of the research to observational data. It is a subject for empirical verification that a hypothesis must be falsifiable or refutable. This means that it must first be tested indefinitely and thus be of a general character, and then she must accept contrary statements that are theoretically subject to verification. The availability of hypothesis seems inappropriate when there is not any logical approach for any topic. It becomes difficult to set any hypothesis for the topic. Therefore, this is the concept of hypothesis and the impact it creates on the qualitative and quantitative research. (Maxwell, 1992)

Important considerations in determining an appropriate Data Analysis approach

In a conceptual research, the assumption will most often as a definition or description of certain relationships studied the concept with other concepts: to clarify the meaning or use of a given concept. This kind of assumption leads to a search of scientific books and ...