No matter which comes first, the facts or the theory, the question to be addressed is the extent to which the theory is borne out by the facts. The strongest possible claim would be that the theory can be logically derived from the facts. That is, given the facts, the theory can be proven as a consequence of them. This strong claim cannot be substantiated.

Chapter 4, Deriving theories from facts: induction, p. 41. - What Is This Thing Called Science? (Third Edition; 1999)