Hypothesis

Abstract In the following article, the authors briefly review the role of hypotheses in science before statistical hypotheses and their relevance for clinical studies are investigated. The authors explain what statistical hypotheses have in common with scientific hypotheses and how they differ. In particular, testing statistical hypotheses is somewhat different from testing scientific hypotheses, although some general ideas apply to both. Eventually, the importance of formulating testable hypotheses for clinical studies are explored and some specific topics like superiority, equivalence, non‐inferiority, and multiple hypotheses are discussed.