A research hypothesis is a statement of expectation or prediction that will be tested by research. Based on your research question, your research hypothesis will predict a relationship between variables.
Through the analysis of data in the subsequent steps, you provide empirical support for your hypothesis.
If you were interested in exploring how crime rates have changed in your neighborhood/town compared to those in the state and the country overall, you might hypothesize that the crime rates in your neighborhood increased, decreased, or stayed the same in comparison with the state and the national crime rates. You will need to pick a specific crime, such as homicide, hypothesize the direction of such change in your neighborhood/town, and compare it to the state and national homicide data.
An example of a research hypothesis can be as follows: The homicide trends in Newark NJ will follow the trends in New Jersey and the US, overall. As the homicide rates increase in Newark, NJ so will the state and national homicide rates.
Describe your research hypothesis in an OpenLab post. Share feedback on at least two classmates’ research hypotheses.
As the homicide rate increases in New York will the national homicide increase as well ?