Question

If the observed test value of a hypothesis test is outside of the established critical value(s), what would a researcher do?

Answer 1

Start over and not take short-cuts the next time......

Explanation:

Any researcher can do an experiment, and record an unexpected result. Maybe he/she was careless, was cack-handed, maybe it was the wrong phase of the moon, maybe, more remotely, the accepted value is in need of revision.

If the same results are obtained, the researcher would ask a colleague or several colleagues to repeat the experiment...and they would collaborate on the communication of the result, ONCE they were satisfied that their result was real and not an artefact.