A meaningful research experience with a strong mentor early in a student's educational career is formative. Many institutions recognize this and would like to have such an experience available to their best students, but it can be difficult to involve first-year students in a laboratory-based research because of their lack of background knowledge. However, it can be just as transformative for students to conduct a meaningful literature research project under the direction of an advisor. Such an experience can expose students to the culture of science and to the excitement of scientific research and can motivate them to pursue science majors and careers. This article describes a first-year, seminar-style class in which, under the direction of an advisor, students engage in a semester-long research project. (Contains 4 tables.)