When a researcher tests his or her hypothesis, he or she is often hoping to gather information that is consistent with a particular theory. what, more specifically, allows a researcher to say that he or she has "proven" a theory?

A research cannot say that he or she has proven a theory. Instead, a researcher can say that he or she has not been able to dispute the theory. While a theory cannot be proved, it remains provisionally valid until it is disproved.

answer; analytical,creative and practical;

a photo collage of women at work during world war 2