Some hypotheses can be proven or disproven simply through research. If a researcher composes an hypothesis regarding something that has already been tested, she can simply look at previous experimentation results and uncover whether or not her hypothesis is true. To ensure that they don’t engage in unnecessary experimentation, individuals composing hypotheses should first research the topic before undertaking the task of experimenting.
For scientists, hypothesis composition is a basic part of the job. The first step in the basic scientific process is the composition of a hypothesis. When scientists develop a new idea, they compose a statement that indicates what they believe will happen, then design experiments to determine whether this believed outcome is actually what occurs. For example, if a scientist believes that the addition of a certain vitamin to an animal’s diet will influence the functioning of one of his organs, he would first compose a hypothesis stating this belief, then design an experiment to test this idea.
Social scientists who study the interactions between humans through sociological or psychological means also create and test hypotheses. When researchers compose hypotheses that relate to the ways humans interact, they perform experiments to prove or disprove their beliefs. Because these experiments involve humans, researchers must often work under human subjects review boards at colleges or universities to ensure that all testing is completed in an ethical manner.
Though many people associate hypotheses only with science, these educated guesses can also be found in math study. Mathematicians devise hypotheses and then move through testing of these hypotheses using mathematical certainties, trying to enhance human understanding of the world.