What is a hypothesis?

A hypothesis is fundamentally a proposed explanation or prediction that can be tested through experimentation. It acts as a starting point for scientific inquiry, offering a tentative answer to a question based on preliminary observations. By formulating a hypothesis, researchers can then design experiments to gather data that will support or refute the hypothesis, allowing for a deeper understanding of the phenomenon being studied.

This distinguishes a hypothesis from final conclusions, which are drawn only after experiments have been conducted, and from summaries of experimental results, which are simply recaps of findings rather than initial expectations or predictions. Additionally, data collected during an experiment represent the evidence that researchers analyze in relation to the hypothesis, rather than the hypothesis itself. Thus, identifying a hypothesis as a testable proposition aligns with its role in the scientific method.