This action research study explores first-year students' conceptions of the research process, with a focus on which aspects students find most challenging and how this information can guide stakeholders in developing curricular or service-based interventions. To gather student reflections on the research process, researchers assigned and collected journal entries at four points during the semester. Qualitative analysis of the research journals revealed how students' self-reported research challenges can be used to identify potential instructional strategies and partnerships between librarians, first-year writing instructors, and writing center staff.