Research Problems and Hypotheses in Empirical Research

Criteria are briefly proposed for final conclusions, research problems, and research hypotheses in quantitative research. Moreover, based on a proposed definition of applied and basic/general research, it is argued that (1) in applied quantitative research, while research problems are necessary, research hypotheses are unjustified, and that (2) in basic/general quantitative hypothesis-testing research, research hypotheses are sufficient, while research problems are unjustified. These arguments are partly related to the distinction between taking knowledge for granted and regarding knowledge as being on trial. The paper illustrates the central role played by the study’s general aim and its relation to existing knowledge in the research domain