5- or 7-Step Method
In the 5-step method which some students are asked to provide and typical of beginning science classes, we see the formation of the problem, a prediction that provides explanation, a procedure used to test the ideas, the observation of results in the procedure, and a conclusion based on all of the other steps. There is a bit more to the method, and it might look like this:
Ask and define the question.
Gather information and resources through observation.
Form a hypothesis.
Perform one or more experiments and collect and sort data.
Analyze the data.
Interpret the data and make conclusions that point to a hypothesis.
Formulate a "final" or "finished" hypothesis.