ABSTRACT
A hypothesis is a suggested explanation for a phenomenon or links among phenomena. People generate hypotheses when they collect existing evidence about how things are connected. Researchers plan further systematic experiments to test if they have correctly understood the connections, some of which might be causal. However, in the sciences, a hypothesis is a prediction that arises from imagining possible, verifiable ways of testing a claim based on past knowledge, experience, and theory. Both research questions and hypotheses are grounded in some knowledge and experience. They are stepping stones toward advancing the researcher's existing knowledge and understanding. Hypotheses are an important part of how new knowledge is created. Hypotheses are also tools to generate links between evidence and theoretical claims.
