How Do You Handle Big Research Projects?

Hey all, I’m in the early stages of a huge research project, and honestly, I’m freaking out. I know it’s a major task, but it feels like I have no clue where to start. How did you guys get the ball rolling with your research projects? Did you focus on your literature review first or jump straight into gathering the data? I’ve been thinking about seeking help writing university assignments with the structure and planning—has anyone ever tried that? I want to make sure I’m doing this right because it’s such a big part of my final grade. Any advice would be super helpful!