Hypotheses in qualitative research
One of the differences between qualitative and quantitative research is around the importance attached to and the extent of use of hypotheses when undertaking a study. As qualitative studies are characterised by an emphasis on describing, understanding and exploring phenomena using categorical and subjective measurement procedures, construction of hypotheses is neither greatly advocated nor significantly practiced. In addition, as the degree of specificity needed to test a hypothesis is deliberately not adhered to in qualitative research, the testing of a hypothesis becomes difficult. This does not mean that you cannot construct hypotheses in qualitative research; however non-specificity of the problem as well as methods and procedure make the convention of hypothesis formulation far less practicable and advisable. Even within quantitative studies the importance attached to and the practice of formulating hypotheses vary markedly from one academic discipline to another. For example, hypotheses are most prevalent in epidemiological research and research relating to the establishment of causality of a phenomenon, where it becomes important to narrow the list of probable causes so that a specific cause-and-effect relationship can be researcher and the academic discipline, whereas within an academic discipline it varies markedly between the quantitative and qualitative research paradigms.