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Theory vs Protocol - What's the difference?

theory | protocol |

In sciences terms the difference between theory and protocol

is that theory is a coherent statement or set of ideas that explains observed facts or phenomena, or which sets out the laws and principles of something known or observed; a hypothesis confirmed by observation, experiment etc while protocol is the original notes of observations made during an experiment; also, the precise method for carrying out or reproducing a given experiment.

As nouns the difference between theory and protocol

is that theory is mental conception; reflection, consideration while protocol is the minutes, or official record, of a negotiation or transaction; especially a document drawn up officially which forms the legal basis for subsequent agreements based on it.

As a verb protocol is

to make a protocol of.

theory

English

Noun

  • (obsolete) Mental conception; reflection, consideration.
  • * 1646 , (Thomas Browne), Pseudodoxia Epidemica , VII.19:
    • As they encrease the hatred of vice in some, so doe they enlarge the theory of wickednesse in all.
  • (sciences) A coherent statement or set of ideas that explains observed facts or phenomena, or which sets out the laws and principles of something known or observed; a hypothesis confirmed by observation, experiment etc.
  • * 2002 , Duncan Steel, The Guardian , 23 May 2002:
    • It was only when Einstein's theory' of relativity was published in 1915 that physicists could show that Mercury's "anomaly" was actually because Newton's gravitational ' theory was incomplete.
  • * 2003 , (Bill Bryson), A Short History of Nearly Everything , BCA, p. 118:
    • The world would need additional decades [...] before the Big Bang would begin to move from interesting idea to established theory .
  • * 2009 , (Richard Dawkins), The Greatest Show On Earth: The Evidence for Evolution , Bantam, p. 10:
    • Scientists and creationists are understanding the word "theory'" in two very different senses. Evolution is a '''theory''' in the same sense as the heliocentric '''theory'''. In neither case should the word "only" be used, as in "only a ' theory ".
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2012-01
    • , author=Michael Riordan , title=Tackling Infinity , volume=100, issue=1, page=86 , magazine= citation , passage=Some of the most beautiful and thus appealing physical theories', including quantum electrodynamics and quantum gravity, have been dogged for decades by infinities that erupt when theorists try to prod their calculations into new domains. Getting rid of these nagging infinities has probably occupied far more effort than was spent in originating the ' theories .}}
  • (uncountable) The underlying principles or methods of a given technical skill, art etc., as opposed to its practice.
  • * 1990 , Tony Bennett, Outside Literature , p. 139:
    • Does this mean, then, that there can be no such thing as a theory of literature?
  • * 1998 , Elizabeth Souritz, The Great History of Russian Ballet :
    • Lopukhov wrote a number of books and articles on ballet theory , as well as his memoirs.
  • (mathematics) A field of study attempting to exhaustively describe a particular class of constructs.
    • Knot theory classifies the mappings of a circle into 3-space.
  • A hypothesis or conjecture.
  • * 1999 , Wes DeMott, Vapors :
    • It's just a theory I have, and I wonder if women would agree. But don't men say a lot about themselves when a short-skirted woman slides out of a car or chair?
  • * 2003 , Sean Coughlan, The Guardian , 21 Jun 2003:
    • The theory is that by stripping costs to the bone, they are able to offer ludicrously low fares.
  • (countable, logic) A set of axioms together with all statements derivable from them. Equivalently, a formal language plus a set of axioms (from which can then be derived theorems).
    • A theory is consistent if it has a model.

    Usage notes

    In scientific discourse, the sense “unproven conjecture” is discouraged (with hypothesis or conjecture preferred), due to unintentional ambiguity and intentional equivocation with the sense “well-developed statement or structure”.

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Holonyms

    * (in logic) formal system

    Meronyms

    * (in logic) axioms

    Derived terms

    * acoustic theory * algorithmic information theory * antenna theory * atomic theory * catastrophe theory * category theory * cell theory * chaos theory * circuit theory * complexity theory * computation theory * control theory * critical theory * decision theory * domino theory * extreme value theory * game theory * giant impact theory * graph theory * group theory * in theory * information theory * kinetic theory of gases * knot theory * literary theory * music theory * number theory * opponent-process theory * phlogiston theory * probability theory * proof theory * quantum field theory * rational choice theory * set theory * signal theory * social theory * systems theory * theory of gravity * theory of relativity * theory of truth * Theory X * Theory Y * type theory * value theory * virtue theory

    Related terms

    * theorem * theoretical * theorise, theorize

    See also

    * axiom * postulate * proposition Check translations

    protocol

    English

    (wikipedia protocol)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • * 1842 , Thomas Campbell, Frederick the Great and his Times , vol. II, p. 47:
    • Another account says that, on the morning of the 31st of May, the king delivered to the prince-royal the crown, the sceptre, and the key of his treasure and gave him his blessing. The privy-counsillor Vockerodt drew up at his desire a protocol of the transaction.
  • * 1970 , Matthew Smith Anderson, The Great Powers and the Near East, 1774-1923 , p. 32:
    • The terms of this protocol formed the basis for the Treaty of London signed by the British, French and Russian governments on 6 July 1827.
  • (international law) An amendment to an official treaty.
  • * 2002 , Philippe Sands, Principles of International Environmental Law , p. 917 n. 253:
    • The 1992 Protocol amended the definitions of other terms, including ‘ship’, ‘oil’ and ‘incident’: Art. 2.
  • The first leaf of a roll of papyrus, or the official mark typically found on such a page.
  • * 1991 , Leila Avrin, Scribes, Script, and Books , p. 146:
    • They marked the beginning of each scroll with their protocol''''', a practice that continued in the papyrus trade in the Byzantine Empire [...] into the Islamic period, when there were bilingual ' protocols in Greek and Arabic.
  • The official formulas which appeared at the beginning or end of certain official documents such as charters, papal bulls etc.
  • * 1985 , Archivum Historiae Pontificiae , v. 23, p. 14:
    • The protocol of the bull contains elements that appear to be formulaic by the time of John XVIII 's pontificate.
  • (sciences) The original notes of observations made during an experiment; also, the precise method for carrying out or reproducing a given experiment.
  • * 1931 , Gye & Purdy, The Cause of Cancer , p. 194:
    • The following is an abstract of the protocol of the experiment: Tumour extract. —A measured 16 c.c. of minced Rous Sarcoma tissue was ground with sand and extracted with 400 c.c. of 0.8-per-cent. saline.
  • The official rules and guidelines for heads of state and other dignitaries, governing accepted behaviour in relations with other diplomatic representatives or over affairs of state.
  • * 2009 , Laura Johnson, "A mwah too far", The Guardian , 19 Sep 2009:
    • Even the Queen (for whom the curtsey is a more standard address) was recently treated to an enthusiastic Obama embrace. Her Majesty, who is not normally known for partaking in such public displays of affection, seemed unperturbed by Michelle Obama's disregard for royal protocol .
  • (by extension) An accepted code of conduct; acceptable behaviour in a given situation or group.
  • * 2010 , The Guardian , 16 Jul 2010:
    • For those uncertain in the protocol of handshaking a formula for the perfect handshake has been devised by scientists at the University of Manchester.
  • (computing) A set of formal rules describing how to transmit or exchange data, especially across a network.
  • * 2006 , Zheng & Ni, Smart Phone and Next-Generation Mobile Computing , p. 444:
    • An exception is Jabber, which is designed based on an open protocol called the extensible messaging and presence protocol (XMPP).
  • (medicine) The set of instructions allowing a licensed medical professional to start, modify, or stop a medical or patient care order.

    • Synonyms

    * procedure * policy

    Verb

  • (obsolete) To make a protocol of.
  • (obsolete) To make or write protocols, or first drafts; to issue protocols.
    • (Carlyle)

    Anagrams

    * ----