The goal of scientific research is to produce scientific knowledge.
The process that scientists follow to generate this scientific knowledge is called the scientific method.
The scientific method involves:
Making an observation regarding natural phenomena.
Formulating a hypothesis that offers a potential explanation for the phenomena.
The hypothesis is then tried and tested through experimentation.
A substantiated and unfalsified hypothesis turns into a theory.
A theory is universal, substantiated and supported by a large body of evidence. One of the major characteristics of a theory is its reproducibility which means that theory produces verifiable data that can be used to reproduce same or similar results.