How is the process of authenticating or weakening a Hadith carried out, and what are the methods scholars rely upon in that regard?

Muslims have paid great attention to the noble Hadith, as it is the second source of legislation, and its collection and compilation began during the time of Omar ibn Abd al-Aziz. The authentication and weakening of Hadith were carried out by knowing the circumstances of the narrators, which led to the emergence of the science of al-Jarh wa al-Ta'deel (discrediting and accrediting). Hadith is divided into Sahih (sound), Hasan (good), and Da'eef (weak). Sahih is that which has a continuous chain of narration, with a just and precise narrator transmitting from another like him, all the way to its end, without any shudhoodh (aberration) or 'illah (defect). Precision refers to the narrator's alertness and memorization. If the precision is less, the Hadith is Hasan. Da'eef is that which does not meet the conditions for acceptance. Shudhoodh is when a trustworthy narrator contradicts someone more authoritative than him. 'Illah is a hidden reason that detracts from the Hadith. Scholars rule on the authenticity or weakness of a Hadith after researching its chain of narration and determining whether it fulfills the conditions of authenticity or not.