hypothesis
Let an agent help formulate, evaluate and test hypotheses, distinguish hypotheses from theories and speculation, and present unconfirmed hypotheses with appropriate uncertainty and attribution.
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions
Formulate Making a hypothesis.
State
Stating it.
State
Stating.
- What is the hypothesis, stated precisely and testably? definition
- What would falsify it? boundary
Predictions
Deriving predictions.
Predictions
Predictions.
- Which observable predictions follow from the hypothesis? action
- Which alternatives predict differently? definition
Test Testing.
Design
Study design.
Design
Design.
- How can the hypothesis be tested, and what design controls confounds? action
- Should the study be preregistered? boundary
Statistics
Null hypotheses.
Statistics
Statistics.
- What are the null and alternative hypotheses, and which test applies? definition
- What do p-values and effect sizes mean here? definition
Status Hypothesis or theory.
Terms
Terminology.
Terms
Terminology.
- Is this a hypothesis, a theory or speculation, and how is the term used in this field? definition
- Is uncertainty communicated clearly? boundary
Speculative
Famous hypotheses.
Speculative
Famous hypotheses.
- What is the status of hypotheses such as panspermia, according to the scientific community? provenance
- Who proposed them, and what evidence exists? provenance
Practice Everyday and research use.
Everyday
Working hypotheses.
Everyday
Working hypotheses.
- How can hypothesis thinking help solve this practical problem? action
- How can confirmation bias be avoided? action
Integrity
Research integrity.
Integrity
Integrity.
- Which practices such as preregistration guard against HARKing and p-hacking? provenance
- How should negative results be reported? action
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Information and virtual systems
- Entry kind
- thing
- Plane
- INF
- Domain
- INF.KNW
- Other names and narrower kinds
- taxon hypothesis, one-electron universe, Panspermia, existential risk from artificial intelligence, gravitational decoherence, research hypothesis, testable hypothesis, unifying hypothesis, auxiliary hypotheses, dynasty replacement theory, predictive hypothesis, explanatory hypothesis
What it is Filled
A proposed explanation or testable statement made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for investigation, such as a research hypothesis in science, a taxon hypothesis in biology, or speculative proposals like panspermia; a good hypothesis is falsifiable, and testing can support, challenge or refine it, while theories serve as broader explanatory frameworks rather than a status that hypotheses attain through accumulated testing.
Why it exists Filled
Let an agent help formulate, evaluate and test hypotheses, distinguish hypotheses from theories and speculation, and present unconfirmed hypotheses with appropriate uncertainty and attribution.
Distinguishing features Filled
- Proposed explanation
- Testable and falsifiable
- Provisional
- Basis of investigation
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Present a hypothesis as an established finding.
- Change a hypothesis after seeing the data and present it as if stated beforehand.
- Attribute a hypothesis to someone who did not propose it.
Only with a human decision
- Publishing or registering a hypothesis on behalf of researchers.
May
- Help state a hypothesis clearly and identify how it could be tested.
- Report a hypothesis with its author, evidence and current status.
Moral aspects Filled
- Overstated hypotheses mislead the public, especially in health.
- Credit for ideas belongs to those who proposed them.
Who is affected
- Researchers
- People affected by decisions based on research
Owners Filled
Steward
The researcher who proposes it; the scientific community tests it.
Master systems
- Study preregistration registries
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- Q108163 - registry parent class
- Q321703 - registry parent class
- Q386724 - registry parent class
related
- proposition - category
- premise - category
- experiment - method
- logic - reasoning
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.hypothesis
- Wikidata: Q41719 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q41719)
Direct properties not applicable Not applicable
Not applicable
Plane INF: no invented physical properties.
Recognition optional Filled
- Testable statements
- Null and alternative forms in statistics
- A theory is a well-supported explanatory framework
- Not physical; statements in research and reasoning.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- formulate a testable hypothesis
- design tests and identify predictions
- distinguish hypothesis, theory and speculation
- present hypotheses with attribution and uncertainty
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Presenting hypotheses as facts
- Unfalsifiable claims
- HARKing and p-hacking
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- Research integrity and preregistration norms
- Statistical reporting guidelines
Context of use required Filled
- Scientific reasoning and research design.
- research hypotheses
- statistical null and alternative hypotheses
- taxonomic hypotheses
- speculative scientific hypotheses
- working hypotheses in everyday reasoning
Sources Filled
- Wikidata item Q41719: hypothesis - identity and sense of the item
- Wikipedia: Hypothesis - general description of the item
Open questions
- Should statistical hypothesis testing be a separate entry?
- How should preregistration resources be linked?
- How should speculative hypotheses be labelled?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q41719/spec.json