Purposes of the hypothesis in quantitative research
Bringing information together to enable the researcher to make a tentative statement about how the variables in the study may be related
Stimulating a research endeavor that results in the accumulation of new knowledge
Providing the investigator with a relational statement
Providing direction to the research
Providing a framework for reporting the findings and conclusions of the study
Quantitative research questions and research hypotheses are designed to accomplish different tasks. Sometimes dissertations should include both although this is not always the case. This section of the article briefly discusses the difference between quantitative research questions and research hypotheses and when to use both (as opposed to just one or the other