[mc_maurer]

I'd also add that the best scientists I know have, for the duration of their careers, put the question first and pursued methods to fit. I know folks who have the wildest set of skills, from next-gen sequencing to fish tattooing and all sorts of random engineering skills. Willingness to learn new skills in the pursuit of worthwhile questions is one of the hallmarks of a good scientist, in my experience.

[tony_cannistra]

100 percent. I'm guilty of doing this wrong in the beginning of my PhD, and it was the biggest hurdle I needed to learn how to overcome. It's easy to try to force problems onto methodologies; it's much harder (and more interesting!) to try to solve real problems with the best available tool for the job.