Terminology Associated with Scientific Process

Hypothesis

• Principle of falsifiability

• For a hypothesis to be considered scientific,
• it must be testable.
• it must, in principle, be capable of being wrong.
• Data never proves a hypothesis to be correct; it only supports a hypothesis.

Theory

• An unifying explanation of a scientific phenomena

• A synthesis of a large body of information that encompasses well-tested hypotheses about certain aspects of the natural world
• A good theory is falsifiable.