How to write a hypothesis – with examples from Adobe Express.

Writing a hypothesis is essential when doing any research paper or project. A hypothesis is simply the initial prediction of what your research will discover.

Your hypothesis should come before anything else– so knowing how to write one early on can help you get your research off to a strong start. In this guide, we’ll define what a hypothesis is, and provide some helpful hypothesis examples to help you construct your own.

Read on to find out how Adobe Express can help you get started.

What is a hypothesis?

You’ve probably said “it’s an educated guess” at some point in your life – and that’s just what a hypothesis is (but with a little more education than guesswork).

When conducting research, either as part of a business case, school project or a university dissertation, you will first need a hypothesis. With this, you will make a prediction, or predictions if there are multiple variables, on what you think the research will prove. Once you’ve got your hypothesis, it’s then time to try and prove yourself right.

An example of a hypothesis is: If I water the plants every day, they will grow.

How to write a hypothesis in 5 steps.

So, how do you create your own research hypothesis? Below we take you through the steps needed to write a hypothesis for an upcoming research paper, and the steps you need to take to get there.

1. Start with your research question.

The easiest way to write your hypothesis is to start with the question you want answered. Make sure it’s specific and focused on what your research is. For example: Do people who eat an apple everyday visit the doctors less?

2. Conduct some initial research.

It’s likely you already have an understanding of the question and topic, but now’s the time to carry out some initial research. Try to find previous research, data or case studies to get an understanding of what’s already out there, and see if you can respond or build on those to bring something new to the field.

3. Identify your variables.

Every hypothesis should contain at least two variables. These variables and the relationship between them is what you will then measure as part of your research.

There are two main types of variable within a hypothesis:

• Independent variable – what you can change or control.
• Dependent variable – what you’re going to monitor and measure.

At this stage of the research process, you’ll need to work out what your variables are. A simple way to do this is to follow the “If this, then that” framework to help you identify them. For example: “If I stay awake all night, then I will be tired tomorrow.” “If” is the independent variable (staying awake all night), while “Then” is the dependent variable (being tired tomorrow).

4. Write your hypothesis statement.

Once you’ve established your variables, you can start to construct your hypothesis statement into one clear and concise sentence. For example: People who eat an apple a day have fewer doctor’s appointments.

5. Refine your hypothesis.

At this point, you should check that your hypothesis is specific and testable. You can do this by taking apart your statement. Check that it has distinct variables and a clear prediction for the outcome of the analysis or experiment. Then you’re good to go.

8 hypothesis examples.

The type of hypothesis you write will usually depend on the type of research you’re conducting. Here are eight different examples you might need to include or create as part of your research report or project.

Simple research hypothesis.

A simple hypothesis is formed of two variables, one independent and a dependent.

For example:

• If you get eight hours of sleep, you won’t be tired the next morning.
• If you revise every day for a week, you’ll pass the test.

Complex hypothesis.

A complex hypothesis has multiple variables, such as two independent and one dependent (or vice versa).

For example:

• People who drink 2 litres of water every day and sleep eight hours every night are less likely to feel tired than those who don’t.
• People who walk 10,000 steps a day are more likely to have stronger legs and more stamina than those who don’t.

Null hypothesis.

A null hypothesis is where you suggest that there is no correlation between the variables. You would usually include a null hypothesis alongside your hypothesis statement as part of a statistical hypothesis test. This is signposted with the symbol H₀.

For example:

• There is no difference in how a cheese sandwich tastes when using either grated or sliced cheese.
• Exam scores aren’t much different between students who revise with sound and who revise in silence.

Alternative hypothesis.

An alternative hypothesis works alongside your null hypothesis, and is written as H₁. This statement should be the opposite of your null hypothesis – so that if one is wrong, the other can be true.

For example:

• Grated cheese sandwiches taste better than sliced cheese.
• People who revise with sound have much better exam score than those who revise in silence.

Logical hypothesis.

A logical hypothesis examines the relationship between variables without any evidence. Instead, it makes claims based on logic and reasoning.

For example:

• Dinosaurs with wings could probably fly.
• A human from Earth would struggle to breathe on Mars.

Empirical hypothesis.

An empirical hypothesis is also known as a “working hypothesis”. This means it is currently being tested. It’s not like a logical hypothesis that has no evidence. Instead, an empirical hypothesis needs concrete data.

For example:

• Adults who increase their daily exercise will have a decrease in body fat.
• Consuming caffeine in the morning will cause an increase in alertness and reaction time in drivers.

Statistical hypothesis.

A statistical hypothesis is where you examine a sample of the population and apply statistical evidence to the results and base the findings on the whole population.

• 60% of the population has naturally curly hair.
• 90% of the population is right-handed.

Scientific hypothesis.

A scientific hypothesis is a testable statement that predicts the outcome of an experiment.

For example:

• If individuals use social media for over 3 hours a day, their levels of anxiety will be higher than individuals who use it for less than an hour a day.
• If water temperature rises, then the rate of evaporation will also increase.

How can Adobe Express help you write a hypothesis?

Adobe Express has a wealth of tools available to help you write a hypothesis. Below are some of the ways you can use Adobe Express with any projects or reports you’re working on.

1. Create a mind map or concept map to help you come up with ideas.

Struggling to pin down an initial idea? That’s okay. Get all of your ideas down by creating a concept map and you’ll be able to see all of the ideas in one place. You can then use data visualisation to create a clearer image.

2. Use templates to conduct, organise and analyse your research.

With an abundance of templates on Adobe Express, it has never been easier to have professional-looking, streamlined and organised research. Take a look at the research poster templates available to get started.

3. Visualise your preliminary data with infographics.

Create infographics to help you visualise your hypothesis data. This can be a great way to help you break down preliminary findings before continuing your research.

4. Turn your hypothesis into a research proposal.

Your hypothesis is just the start of your whole project. Once you have that part nailed down, you can turn your hypothesis into a research proposal. Discover research proposal templates.

5. Get more academic writing tips and templates.

When it comes to academic writing there are so many things you need to think about. From essays to dissertations and everything else in between. Take a look at Adobe Express’s Academic Writing hub to find more useful guides to help you.

Use AI template generation to build out your academic hypothesis.

With Adobe Express’s AI template generator, you can create impressive templates perfect for your academic studies. Simply enter your text prompt to create a template that showcases your hypothesis. Whether it’s an AI-generated presentation, or a simple research poster outlining your arguments and research methodology, you can generate the content you need to bring your hypothesis to life.

Each template is fully customisable, so you can adjust the fonts, remove backgrounds or add your own images and infographics. This makes it easy to ensure your research is consistently formatted and reflects your own approach. Pushed for time or need some inspiration on how to structure your page? Adobe Express’s AI template generator will be here to help.

Try Adobe Express for free now

Good to know.

What is the purpose of writing a hypothesis?

The purpose of a hypothesis is to focus your research and give you a goal post to work towards. Writing a hypothesis is important as it’s the basis of the whole research. Once you have the brief statement, you can then get to work proving it – or disproving it, depending on the task.

What makes a good hypothesis?

A good hypothesis is one that is concise and clear. This will help keep your research focused and on the right path. Clear variables are essential for a good hypothesis.

Is Adobe Express free?

Yes, our free plan offers many core features including thousands of templates, photo editing and effects, animation, and 5 GB of storage. See our pricing page for details and to compare plans.