Q: Do I always need to specify a hypothesis?
Do I need to specify a hypothesis in the manuscript even if it is a technical note instead of an original paper?
No, you needn’t always specify a hypothesis. A hypothesis is more relevant or necessary for exploratory research, which involves thinking about various possible paths.
A technical note is meant to be concise, talking about a particular solution to a technical problem or to explain some procedure (so that users are able to work efficiently with it). So, a hypothesis may not be needed here.
However, in case the journal has asked for it or the note is not a short one but closer to the length of a full paper, you may, for the purpose of providing direction to your writing, have a hypothesis in mind. It may help you clearly identify and articulate the benefits of the said procedure.
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This content belongs to the Conducting Research Stage