What are some of the best practices for integrating theory and research in a coherent and rigorous way?

No. You cannot have a specific question if you don't have a specific idea. The idea comes from reading research in your interest area. Until you understand what you want to research by understanding what has been researched, you cannot ask a specific question. The concept of reading scientific material needs to be reinforced.

Personally I would not adopt this approach. Once you have a research idea, I would advise reading through key papers on the subject of interest, looking for gaps in the literature and the suggestion for future research. Read up on relevant theories and select the most appropriate theory to underpin your research. Only then would I think about developing a research question.

Research , more so academic research signifies -new knowledge. That can only be substantiated after a 'relevant' with a rigorous literature review of the subject to determine and 'find' knowledge gaps. This is the basis of the research questions which leads to the 'research model'. New data obtained then must be subjected to a 'robust' application of the queries - research questions- the collation(s) and the presentation(s) subject to the ' assumptions and limitations' presented as NEW KNOWLEDGE, with a (suggested list) recommendation for further research.

This is only true for hypothesis-driven research, which is necessary but not sufficient for advancing science. But whatever.

Well explained. However, this is an essential stage where the researcher has to make a critical decision on weather the method will be guided by inductive, deductive, or abductive approach. The mentioned approaches will guide the research analysis in producing new or confirming existing theories and integrating with the empirical data.

Efficiency in collecting, structuring and interpreting data is essential to extract meaningful insights. The meticulous organization of this data not only facilitates analysis, but also catalyzes the generation of knowledge, allowing researchers to identify patterns, establish correlations, and develop informed theories.

I am unsure how this article answers the question, which is ironic in light of the first paragraph. The article is a substandard description of how to design research and not how to integrate theory with practice. It misses key steps of research design, confuses method with methodology and is based on too many cliches.

In addition to constructing valid and reliable research methods, increase research rigor by evaluating the credibility and currency of sources in the review of literature. Position new research in sound existing research, building on a strong foundation which helps the research that follows advance knowledge in the field. To evaluate the credibility and currency of sources, tie the sources to the research question, consider the validity, reliability and limitation of the primary methodology, whether the conclusions are reasonable and any research equivalents in the past 1-5 years.