What is Hypothesis Testing?

Research methodology1,2 is a structured and scientific approach used to collect, analyze, and interpret quantitative
or qualitative data to answer research questions or test hypotheses. A research methodology is like a plan for
carrying out research and helps keep researchers on track by limiting the scope of the research. Several aspects
must be considered before selecting an appropriate research methodology, such as research limitations and
ethical concerns that may affect your research.
The research methodology section in a scientific paper describes the different methodological choices made, such
as the data collection and analysis methods, and why these choices were selected. The reasons should explain why
the methods chosen are the most appropriate to answer the research question. A good research methodology also
helps ensure the reliability and validity of the research findings. There are three types of research methodology—
quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method, which can be chosen based on the research objectives.
Types of research methodology
There are three types of research methodology based on the type of research and the data
required.1
Hypothesis testing in statistics refers to analyzing an assumption about a population parameter. It is used to make an educated guess about an assumption using
statistics. With the use of sample data, hypothesis testing makes an assumption about how true the assumption is for the entire population from where the sample
is being taken.
Any hypothetical statement we make may or may not be valid, and it is then our responsibility to provide evidence for its pos sibility. To approach any hypothesis,
we follow these four simple steps that test its validity.
1. First, we formulate two hypothetical statements such that only one of them is true. By doing so, we can check the validity of our own hypothesis.
2. The next step is to formulate the statistical analysis to be followed based upon the data points.
3. Then we analyze the given data using our methodology.
4. The final step is to analyze the result and judge whether the null hypothesis will be rejected or is true.
several hypothesis testing examples: 1. It is observed that the average recovery time for a knee-surgery patient is 8 weeks. A physician believes that after
successful knee surgery if the patient goes for physical therapy twice a week rather than thrice a week, the recovery period will be longer. Conduct hypothesis for
this statement.
2.David is a ten-year-old who finishes a 25-yard freestyle in the meantime of 16.43 seconds. David’s father bought goggles for his son, believing that it would help

▪ Quantitative research methodology focuses on measuring and testing numerical data. This approach is good for reaching a
large number of people in a short amount of time. This type of research helps in testing the causal relationships between
variables, making predictions, and generalizing results to wider populations.
▪ Qualitative research methodology examines the opinions, behaviors, and experiences of people. It collects and analyzes words
and textual data. This research methodology requires fewer participants but is still more time consuming because the time spent
per participant is quite large. This method is used in exploratory research where the research problem being investigated is not
clearly defined.
him to reduce his time. He then recorded a total of fifteen 25-yard freestyle for David, and the average time came out to be 16 seconds. Conduct a hypothesis.
3.A tire company claims their A-segment of tires have a running life of 50,000 miles before they need to be replaced, and previous studies show a standard deviation
of 8,000 miles. After surveying a total of 28 tires, the mean run time came to be 46,500 miles with a standard deviation of 9800 miles. Is the claim made by the tire
company consistent with the given data? Conduct hypothesis testing.
Hypothesis Testing in Research Methodology
Now that we are clear about what hypothesis testing is? Let's look at the use of hypothesis testing in research methodology. Hypothesis testing is at the centre of
research projects.

▪ Mixed-method research methodology uses the characteristics of both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies in
the same study. This method allows researchers to validate their findings, verify if the results observed using both methods are
complementary, and explain any unexpected results obtained from one method by using the other method.
What is Hypothesis Testing and Why is it Important in Research Methodology?
Often after formulating research statements, the validity of those statements need to be verified. Hypothesis testing offers a statistical approach to the researcher
about the theoretical assumptions he/she made. It can be understood as quantitative results for a qualitative problem.

What is a Survey Method?

A survey method is a process, tool, or technique that you can use to gather information in research by asking questions to a predefined
group of people. Typically, it facilitates the exchange of information between the research participants and the person or organization
carrying out the research.
Types of Survey Methods
Interviews
An interview is a survey research method where the researcher facilitates some sort of conversation with the research participant to
gather useful information about the research subject. This conversation can happen physically as a face-to-face interview or virtually as
a telephone interview or via video and audio-conferencing platforms.
During an interview, the researcher has the opportunity to connect personally with the research subject and establish some sort of
relationship. This connection allows the interviewer (researcher) to gain more insight into the information provided by the research
participant in the course of the conversation.
Survey methods can be qualitative or quantitative depending on the type of research and the type of data you want to gather in the end.
For instance, you can choose to create and administer an online survey with Formplus that allows you to collect statistical information
from respondents. For qualitative research, you can conduct a face-to-face interview or organize a focus group.
Observation : Just as the name suggests, observation is a method of gathering data by paying attention to the actions and behaviors of
the research subjects as they interact in their environment. This qualitative research method allows you to get first-hand information
about the research subjects in line with the aims and objectives of your systematic investigation.
If you have tried out this survey method, then you must have come across one or more of the 4 types of observation in research. These
are; Complete observer method, observer as participant method, participant as observer method, and complete participant me thod.

An Introduction to Point Estimation in Statistics

In the complete observer method, the researcher is entirely detached or absorbed from the research environment. This means that In Statistics, Estimation Theory and Hypothesis Testing play a major role in determining solutions to certain problems. Point estimation is one of the areas that help people
the participants are completely unaware of the researcher’s presence and this allows them to act naturally as they interact with their involved in Statistical analysis come to conclusions regarding many different kinds of questions. Point estimation means using data to calculate the value or the point as it
environment. You can think of it as a remote observation.
serves as a best guess of any given parameter that may be unknown.
Focus Groups
A focus group is an open conversation with a small number of carefully-selected participants who provide useful information for
research. The selected participants are a subset of your research population and should represent the different groups in the larger
population.
In a focus group, the researcher can act as the moderator who sets the tone of the conversation and guides the discourse. The What is the Definition of Point Estimation? : Point estimators are defined as functions that can be used to find the approximate value of a particular point from a given
moderator ensures that the overall conversations are in line with the aims and objectives of the research and he or she also reduces the population parameter. The sample data of a population is used to find a point estimate or a statistic that can act as the best estimate of an unknown parameter that is
bias in the discussions. given for a population.

If you are conducting qualitative research with a large and diverse research population, then adopting focus groups is an effective and
cost-efficient method of data collection. Typically, your focus group should have 6-10 participants, usually 8; including the moderator. What are the Properties of Point Estimators?

Research Data It is desirable for a point estimate to be the following :

Research data refers to any information or evidence gathered through systematic investigation or experimentation to
support or refute a hypothesis or answer a research question.It includes both primary and secondary data, and can be in
various formats such as numerical, textual, audiovisual, or visual. Research data plays a critical role in scientific inquiry and
is often subject to rigorous analysis, interpretation, and dissemination to advance knowledge and inform decision-making. • Consistent - We can say that the larger is the sample size, the more accurate is the estimate.
Types of Research Data There are generally four types of research data:
Quantitative Data

•
This type of data involves the collection and analysis of numerical data. It is often gathered through surveys, experiments, or
other types of structured data collection methods. Quantitative data can be analyzed using statistical techniques to identify Unbiased - The expectation of the observed values of various samples equals the corresponding population parameter.
patterns or relationships in the data. Let’s take, for example, We can say that sample mean is an unbiased estimator for the population mean.
Qualitative Data
This type of data is non-numerical and often involves the collection and analysis of words, images, or sounds. It is often
gathered through methods such as interviews, focus groups, or observation. Qualitative data can be analyzed using
techniques such as content analysis, thematic analysis, or discourse analysis.
Primary Data
• Most Efficient That is also Known as Best Unbiased - of all the various consistent, unbiased estimates, the one
This type of data is collected by the researcher directly from the source. It can include data gathered through surveys, possessing the smallest variance (a measure of the amount of dispersion away from the estimate). In simple words, we can
experiments, interviews, or observation. Primary data is often used to answer specific research questions or to test say that the estimator varies least from sample to sample and this generally depends on the particular distribution of the
hypotheses.
Secondary Data
population. For example, the mean is more efficient than the median (that is the middle value) for the normal distribution
This type of data is collected by someone other than the researcher. It can include data from sources such as government but not for more “skewed” ( also known as asymmetrical) distributions.
reports, academic journals, or industry publications. Secondary data is often used to supplement or support primary data or
to provide context for a research project.
Data Collection Methods What are the Methods Used to Calculate Point Estimators?
Some common research data collection methods include:

• Surveys: Surveys involve asking participants to answer a series of questions about a

The maximum likelihood method is a popularly used way to calculate point estimators. This method uses differential calculus to
understand the probability function from a given number of sample parameters.
particular topic. Surveys can be conducted online, over the phone, or in person.

• Interviews: Interviews involve asking participants a series of open-ended questions in order Named after Thomas Bayes, the Bayesian method is another way using which the frequency function of a parameter can be understood.
to gather detailed information about their experiences or perspectives. Interviews can be This is a more non-traditional approach. However, in this case, enough information on the distribution of the parameter is not always given
conducted in person, over the phone, or via video conferencing.
but in case it is, then the estimation can be done fairly easily.
• Focus groups: Focus groups involve bringing together a small group of participants to
discuss a particular topic or issue in depth. The group is typically led by a moderator who
asks questions and encourages discussion among the participants. What are the Formulae that Can be Used to Measure Point Estimators?

• Observations: Observations involve watching and recording behaviors or events as they Some common formulae include:
naturally occur. Observations can be conducted in person or through the use of video or
audio recordings. • Maximum Likelihood Estimation or MLE

• Experiments: Experiments involve manipulating one or more variables in order to measure • Jeffrey Estimation

•
the effect on an outcome of interest. Experiments can be conducted in a laboratory or in the
field. Wilson Estimation

• Case studies: Case studies involve conducting an in-depth analysis of a particular individual, • Laplace Estimation
group, or organization. Case studies typically involve gathering data from multiple sources,
including interviews, observations, and document analysis.

• Secondary data analysis: Secondary data analysis involves analyzing existing data that was
collected for another purpose. Examples of secondary data sources include government

Purpose of Research Data

records, academic research studies, and market research reports.
What is a Non-parametric Test?
Research data serves several important purposes, including:

• Supporting scientific discoveries: Research data provides the basis for scientific Non-parametric tests are the mathematical methods used in statistical hypothesis testing, which do not make assumptions about the frequency
discoveries and innovations. Researchers use data to test hypotheses, develop new theories,
and advance scientific knowledge in their field.

•
distribution of variables that are to be evaluated. The non-parametric experiment is used when there are skewed data, and it comprises techniques that
Validating research findings: Research data provides the evidence necessary to validate
research findings. By analyzing and interpreting data, researchers can determine the
statistical significance of relationships between variables and draw conclusions about the do not depend on data pertaining to any particular distribution.
research question.

• Informing policy decisions: Research data can be used to inform policy decisions by
The word non-parametric does not mean that these models do not have any parameters. The fact is, the characteristics and number of parameters are
providing evidence about the effectiveness of different policies or interventions.
Policymakers can use data to make informed decisions about how to allocate resources and
address social or economic challenges.
pretty flexible and not predefined. Therefore, these models are called distribution-free models.
• Promoting transparency and accountability: Research data promotes transparency and
accountability by allowing other researchers to verify and replicate research findings. Data
sharing also promotes transparency by allowing others to examine the methods used to Non-Parametric T-Test Whenever a few assumptions in the given population are uncertain, we use non-parametric tests, which are also
collect and analyze data.

• Supporting education and training: Research data can be used to support education and
considered parametric counterparts. When data are not distributed normally or when they are on an ordinal level of measurement, we have to use non-
training by providing examples of research methods, data analysis techniques, and research
findings. Students and researchers can use data to learn new research skills and to develop
their own research projects.
parametric tests for analysis. The basic rule is to use a parametric t-test for normally distributed data and a non-parametric test for skewed data.