1. Balance your goals with your time. If you are hoping to publish an article in a short timeframe, certain methodologies (such as longitudinal studies or systematic reviews) won't be feasible. You may also need to consider the time needed for IRB or other approval.
2. Try to do "Swiss cheese" collaboration. Fill out your research team with members that help cover gaps in your own knowledge as much as possible. Depending on your research needs, you might consider consulting with colleagues in other research disciplines, statisticians, librarians, or community members.
3. Start by identifying your "output." Do you have an intervention and want to prove its effectiveness? Are you more interested in showing a relationship between two variables? Do you want to discuss the implementation or evaluation of a program/intervention? Start by identifying your end goal--what you want your research to say. This will help you narrow down which method(s) to choose.
4. Look at your research so far. What are common methods in the articles you've found? Do the researchers note any limitations to these methods? How could your research fill gaps other researchers have identified?
