A major responsibility of instruction librarians is to help students develop a more extensive and flexible information literacy repertoire. The teaching and learning of information literacy most often takes place in one of two ways: within the context of single 50-minute library sessions, or at the reference desk. In both cases, it usually takes place when students have received a high stakes assignment. The author believes a low stakes model offers an intriguing alternative to the teaching of research skills (defined here as locating and evaluating sources for inclusion in a paper or project). However, it is first necessary to understand the extent to which students are assigned research; how students emotionally experience the research process; and how they learn and employ research skills. This article discusses the benefits of low stakes writing and research, and provides examples of low stakes research assignments. The model described in this article provides a clear way for faculty and librarians to work together on developing student research skills in a manner that decreases student anxiety and increases student confidence and performance.