Answer:
You'll be much more successful by doing research as a team. I say this even when you come up with most of the ideas, but you might not always come up with all the solutions! You share in the team brain and by brain storming out the idea, and discovering the good and bad in the plan, you'll find the weaknesses in your approach.
You will also be able to present the preliminary to the group to see if there are questions as to whether someone has seen if someone else has already done something similar and who and where it was done - or if not what was done and how similar it was.
Also, the group will get more money to do the work. There is nothing more frustrating than going down to the stockroom and not even being able to buy a box of sterile gloves~!
Research is often very complex. It all depends on your style. I prefer working solo, so you may be different.
Look to see what people haven't done in what you're interested then make sure no one has done it...
And with whom or by yourself...depends on you. :)