Advise for looking at programs to apply to?

[eagerapplicant999]

Hi all!

I am currently in the process of putting together a list of PhD programs I would like to apply to. In my search for potential advisors, I have found many professors doing great work in the research topic/area that I am interested in. However, some of these professors use a methodology different to what I would like to be trained in/apply in my research. How concerned should I be regarding this? Is matching research interests enough or is finding/prioritizing a methodological match more important?

Thanks in advance for your answers! 

Edited April 2, 2022 by eagerapplicant999

[Yifannnn]

Personally my advise would be : methodology IS important. Especially when it comes to quantitative/qualitative  approche, since it’s highly related to the epistemology of one scholar. 

[t_ruth]

I agree that epistemology matters (not so much methodology as unrelated to epistemology), but most starting PhD students I know don't have a handle on their personal epistemology, so it would be hard to narrow down an advisor list based on this criteria.

You can look for programs that have strong methods programs (both qual and quant) to make sure you have the ability to learn and use the methods that will be right for your particular research questions.