36 Research Starts With A Hypothesis

Research papers are always an assignment students would have taken at some point in their academic careers, and here is where they will learn important skills of finding and gathering important relevant information to aid them in their quest of finding answers for their hypothesis. Yes, Answers to their hypothesis as research does not start from something the student already has the answer to it. Rather about understanding why is that the answer, how they have worked up to find it, and how they can discover it through the tests and studies that they have performed to help prove or disprove their hypothesis. What makes a hypothesis so wonderful in research is that the student can just make an educated guess, thus, they do not necessarily have to be right to have a good research paper.

For the most part, research is about learning how to gather a collection of data and information thus interpreting the data in an organized analysis to increase one’s knowledge of a topic or issue. But to gather data one must know where to begin and it all starts with a question and a hypothesis. Having a question that you have picked out or is assigned to you benefits you in understanding research by exploring a topic you are not quite familiar with yet. It’s like starting with a blank page and you slowly but surely fill it out with information you have collected and learned from both secondary sources, primary sources, and primary research. More so, having a hypothesis will help guide the research’s direction in finding information relating to the topic the hypothesis is discussing which will help narrow the search. In addition, not only will students be taught how to find sources they will also know what sources to choose from to validate their argument within their research paper.

Argumentative writing and understanding of the argument structure consistent with Logos, pathos, and ethos are connected back to ancient Greek and Roman rhetoric as mentioned by author Alison C. Witte, this study allowed students to understand the ways how one could use language in writing to persuade their audience. Although within a research paper you cannot display your own opinion on your topic, individuals are still able to display rhetoric throughout their paper to gain the trust of the audience. Thus, by collecting information such as primary and secondary sources of scholarly peer-reviewed articles that will prove or disprove your hypothesis it will help with Ethos along with Logos. This is because it shows to your audience you have done your thorough research and will allow the audience to be more trusting of what you say. Pathos within a research paper can also be achieved by personalizing the paper in your wording, giving it a uniqueness to it as well as understanding when certain things such as data, charts, surveys, and general information should be placed which can surprise the audience. More so, by wording it in a certain way, the information presented to the audience can result in an array of emotions, making them more inclined to read the paper all the way through. Examples of this would be, for instance, talking about global warning and presenting a diagram of the rapid increase of greenhouse gas emissions which will surely shock a few readers, and make them worried, anxious, upset, or angry that such things are happening. Creating your survey or experiment to prove or disprove your hypothesis can evoke all three forms of rhetoric. Ethos is achieved as it adds credibility to your argument within the paper as you are willing to create your experiments and using the results that come from it adds to logos as you present the data you have found. Even pathos can be achieved as it can create a sense of reassurance and admiration that you have created a study for the sole purpose of gaining more knowledge and understanding of the topic your research paper is about. Yes, there are certain rules in place of what you can and cannot do within writing a research paper however, by adding uniqueness with wording and placement of credible information any can achieve all forms of rhetoric in a paper.

In today’s time, it is much easier than ever to find scholarly peer-reviewed research articles to increase the student’s knowledge as well as have the reassurance that the information gathered is true. During ancient Greek, the process of collecting information to present as evidence would have been time-consuming, however, thanks to the creation of the internet is now more accessible than ever, even better that you don’t have to scout around a library to find the information you need. Due to the existence of the internet students and scholars alike have easier access to the necessary articles that will help in their endeavor of gaining knowledge as well as help prove or disprove their hypothesis. Even when the internet is prone to misinformation, students will gain the skills to understand what articles are of a scholarly peer-reviewed level that would be valid evidence in their argument within their research paper. It is an important skill for any student and even those who are not in academics anymore to understand if the information they are receiving is viable and credible. This skill is now more necessary than ever as with the rise of the internet there has been a rise of fake news and biased information which can lead to misinformation, disagreements, and arguments all because individuals are not correctly informed of the topic at hand. Thus, by teaching students how to find and retrieve information for their research it prevents such things from happening as there is reassurance that the information retrieved is credible. For instance, Students will learn that not every article that pops up first when looking for information is considered credible as it can be ill-informed blog posts, articles that are attached to a certain media like the Washington Post which have biases, and inexperienced writers with not much to their name. Instead, students will look for things that do help determine if an article is scholarly such as the author’s name being included, technical or specialized language, long (about five or more pages) and that there is a Bibliography included. This can then be brought into their adult lives outside of education as when there is a need to find particular information these adults will know what to look for.

Research can be overwhelming for students at times without a clear sense of direction of how to go about exactly “researching” but with a hypothesis, students will have a ground rule of understanding. Hypothesis allows students to not only understand what topic they are researching but as well have their own opinion or “educated guess” of the subject of discussion. A hypothesis does not even need to be right to exist and through research, a student will be able to learn more than what they already know of the subject matter at hand. Students can as well create their studies, interviews, and surveys for proving their hypothesis thus allowing them to engage more with the research at hand. Students in research must still abide by the rules and regulations that come with creating research papers such as citing sources correctly, using MLA formatting, correct font, and font size. However, outside of that students are able to format their research papers in any way they want. That will help them engage with the research better, get their audience interested, display their use of rhetoric, and create their own study to support their journey of knowledge.

Overall, Research is about finding answers to questions, finding solutions to problems, and increasing one’s knowledge of a topic they were once not familiar with. It may feel like a drag to find the right articles that relate to your topic but with a starting point being a hypothesis

Students are able to narrow down what articles to include. Now thanks to rapidly progressing technology it is now easier than ever to find the right scholarly articles for research and trust that the information you are receiving is credible and viable. Thus, students are able able to avoid spreading false information and understand what to look for when researching. By gaining the right information students are able to use rhetorical strategies even despite not being able to give their own opinion in the paper. This is because they are able to personalize the paper and by formatting the wording in a particular way can gain Ethos with citing of articles, Logos by including scholarly articles, and pathos by placing information that can surprise the reader. And so with a hypothesis not even needing to be correct, students are free to learn without the worry of needing to be right.