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3. Characteristics of Hypothesis

Hypotheses should be related to available techniques

Hypotheses should be related to available techniques. This is, of course, a sensible methodological requirement applicable to any problem when one is judging its research ability. The researcher who does not know what techniques are available to test his hypotheses is in a poor way to formulate usable questions.

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In other words, the hypotheses should be formulated only after due thought has been given to the methods and techniques that can be used to measure the concepts or variables incorporated in the hypotheses. This should not mean as implying, however, that formulation of hypotheses which are at a given time too complex to be handled by contemporary technique is a taboo.

We must not forget that if the problem is significant enough as a possible frame of reference, it may be useful regardless of whether or not it is amenable to verification or test by the techniques available at the time. The works of Marx and Durkheim have been of paramount importance to sociology even though at that time their larger ideas were incapable of being handled by available techniques.

Lastly, it would be well to remember that posing of ‘impossible’ questions may stimulate the growth and innovations in technique. There is no doubt that some amount of impetus to modern developments in technique has come from criticisms against significant studies which were at that time considered inadequate because of limitations of available techniques.

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