Select a proverb you would like to test, but make sure that it is testable. For instance, while "blood is thicker than water" seems like a workable hypothesis, you may face ethical problems obtaining and performing tests on blood. Alternatively, you may select a proverb that is more realistic, such as "birds of a feather flock together."
Rewrite your proverb into a question format. Make sure that you keep all of the elements of your proverb intact during this step. To continue with the example, you can rewrite "birds of a feather flock together" in the question format, "Do birds of a feather flock together?"
Design a few methods for testing your new hypothesis. Consider designing an experiment or using the literature research method. Determine which method best fits your new hypothesis. If your hypothesis does not seem realistically testable, look for another hypothesis that may work better. For instance, if you were considering the hypothetical question "Do birds of a feather flock together?" you could perform an observational experiment and watch the flight pattern of birds. Or you could use the literature review technique and study the research work done by ornithologists in the field.
List the elements of your hypothesis that relate to your research method. As an example, for your hypothetical question, "Do birds of a feather flock together?" you may list that "birds of a feather" refers to birds of a similar species and that "flock together" refers to traveling in groups. Identify each element of your hypothesis that you should study.
Write the standard by which you can judge the results of your study. Ask yourself what conditions must be true for your hypothesis to be true. Review your hypothesis's list of elements and include them into your standard. For instance, you may decide that the similar species of "birds of a feather" may include a few variations of the primary species and that "flock together" should refer to the birds' tendency to flock but not necessarily their flocking together in all instances.