Q&A for How to Develop a Theory

You can use this process to formulate a theory in any of the sciences, not just experimental science. You can follow the same general procedures for establishing and testing a hypothesis, even if you're not using a typical lab setting.

You don't have to be an academic to share a scientific theory! As long as you followed scientific protocols, you can share your results. Submit your paper to scientific conferences, which often don't consider a person's professional background when selecting papers. If you feel unsure about sharing your results, ask a person in academia who works in the field you're studying to partner with you on your research.

This is a theory. You've made a hypothesis, tested it, and drawn conclusions about the outcome. These conclusions are the theoretical explanation for the result, yet it doesn't become fact or law until it is replicated without failure.

It's basically the same as the scientific method. Make a prediction on why something occurs, test your hypothesis with a controlled experiment, then conclude whether your hypothesis was correct.

You should get a patent or copyright on it so no one can copy it without facing a penalty.

There are a couple of options. You could start by sharing your theory online using YouTube or other social media sites. If you wanted a more "official" method, you could write a book and distribute it to groups that you think would find your theory interesting or worthy of discussion.