I'm confused with journals and books I have read about the topic. Could someone please help?
Thanks!
Yes, both qualitative and quantitative studies need hypothesis, a research question you answer.
Generally speaking, hypotheses are used in quantitative, deductive, experimental-type studies. In those studies, you, the researcher, makes a prediction about the cause and effect between two or more variables. There are different ways to write these hypotheses: null hypothesis, directional or non-directional are common. Enjoyment at a baseball game will be higher amongst attendees who are able to eat a hot dog compared with those who are not allowed to eat a hot dog. Here you are going to give your subjects an enjoyment questionnaire and have an experimental group (with hot dog) and a control group with no hot dog. You are trying to establish eating hot dogs improves enjoyment at a baseball game - cause and effect.
Correlational studies do not determine cause and effect. They generally only show relationships. You can write a research question that starts with what is the relationship between your two or more variables. Some also will use a null hypothesis that says there is no relationship between the variables you are studying. People who like baseball games will also like eating hot dogs.
Descriptive studies generally answer the questions like how many, how much etc. It's most appropriate to use a research question in a descriptive study. How many people will eat a hot dog at a baseball game?
Qualitative studies are designed to identify concepts, hypotheses, and maybe unknown information about an area of investigation. They are generally inductive and use a research question not a hypothesis. Your research question might be to describe what it is like to eat a hot dog at a baseball game. Tell me what it is like to eat a hot dog at a baseball game? might even be your question.
Good luck to you!
I am in full agreement with Madelaine Lawrence - also refer to a paper that I have written viz. “Writing for Publication for Students and University Staff”, which also briefly speaks about this and other aspects. The paper is freely available on ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342549330_Writing_for_Publication_for_Students_and_University_Staff and also watch a presentation that I gave on Research Proposal Development, which is on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-RVfXmIfHRs.
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