Generating Research Hypothesis: Tapping Informal Reasoning, Theory, and Existing Research

Outline

I. Overview

II. Generating research ideas by challenging common sense

III. Generating research ideas from theory

A. Why scientists like theories

1. What is a theory?

2. Advantages of using theory to generate ideas

B. Using "good" theories to generate research ideas

1. Characteristics of a testable theory

2. Finding a testable theory

3. Ways of deducing hypotheses from theory

C. Conclusions about generating research ideas from theory

IV. Generating ideas from previous research

A. Specific strategies

B. Conclusions about generating research ideas from previous research

V. Converting an idea into a research hypothesis

A. Make it testable.

B. Be sure to have a rationale.

C. Demonstrate its relevance.

D. Make sure that testing it is practical and ethical.

E. Changing impractical and unethical ideas into research

hypotheses

VI. Concluding remarks

Chapter summary

Key Terms

Exercises

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