Discovery
Observation: This is the initial stage where scientists observe a phenomenon or a set of data that sparks curiosity or raises questions.
Research: Scientists conduct background research to gather existing information related to the observation, which helps in understanding the context and forming a basis for further investigation.
Question: Based on the observations and research, scientists formulate a clear, focused question that they aim to answer through their investigation.
Hypothesis: This involves creating a testable hypothesis, which is an educated guess or prediction about the relationship between variables or the outcome of the experiment.
Experimentation (Planning): Scientists design experiments to test the hypothesis. This involves identifying variables, determining procedures, and ensuring that the experiments can be repeated for reliable results.