How Do You Formulate a Testable Exciting Hypothesis?

Abstract

The first reaction of many reviewers to a research proposal or a journal article is either excitement or boredom. If the proposal is boring, they may approve it, but they are unlikely to vote a high rating. In almost any science a necessary but not sufficient condition for something to be important—which in this context means being fundable, being reportable in good scientific journals, and perhaps having an impact on the field—is that it is exciting. Thus, my first advice about getting proposals funded is to talk to friends in the field about your research idea and evaluate their reactions. Your proposal should elicit excitement; if it does not, you should think more about your ideas.