Which term describes science that describes natural phenomena by collecting observations and data without starting from a hypothesis?

• A. Discovery based science
• B. Hypothesis driven science
• C. Applied science
• D. Descriptive science

Answer: (A)

Discovery-based science describes science that describes natural phenomena by collecting observations and data without starting from a hypothesis. It focuses on gathering information to reveal patterns and relationships in nature, and the findings often point to questions or hypotheses to test later. This approach contrasts with hypothesis-driven science, which starts with a specific, testable prediction and designs experiments to test it. Descriptive science is related in that it aims to describe what is observed, but the emphasis in discovery-based science is on data-first exploration—collecting observations and letting patterns guide future inquiry. For example, cataloging all species in a rainforest and recording their characteristics is discovery-based, because it builds a descriptive dataset before formulating hypotheses.