Hypothesis
A testable, falsifiable prediction about the relationship between variables, stated before the data is analysed.
A hypothesis predicts: “Students who take structured notes will make fewer citation errors than students who do not.” It has to be capable of being wrong, and it has to be stated in advance — a prediction generated after seeing the data is a description of the data.
The null hypothesis is the complementary claim of no effect, and it is what significance testing actually evaluates. Pre-registration exists to make the ordering verifiable.
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See also
Research questionThe specific, answerable question a study sets out to address, narrow enough that you can tell whether you answered it.Thesis statementOne or two sentences stating the argument a paper will make — a claim someone could disagree with, not a description of the topic.MethodologyThe account of how a study was carried out, detailed enough that another researcher could repeat it.