Conducting education research involving students requires thoughtful prior planning and meticulous attention to detail. From the conception of the research question, to IRB approval, to data cleaning and analysis, the process of collecting and analyzing student data is complex and cumbersome. For those new to education research, many of the challenges can be difficult to plan for at the outset of a project. Longitudinal data in particular provides valuable insights into student progress, but it requires additional considerations to ensure data quality. Here, we discuss lessons learned on survey planning and piloting, pairing pre- and post-survey data, managing participant attrition, and more. In addition to a review of the literature for best practices, we leverage our shared experience conducting case studies with hundreds of student participants to provide practical recommendations for a framework for planning longitudinal data collection. This will include questions and plans for data collection to streamline your data analysis.