Most writers labor under a disabling illusion about research and writing. Most students – and far too many researchers – think of research projects as akin to sedimentary layers in sandstone. According to this model, we accrete facts from the bottom up in layers, gradually accumulating evidence until we can prove a hypothesis – or at least create a thesis that stands up to scrutiny. Instructors rely on this model when they assign a term research project, sometimes counseling students to conduct primary and secondary research as though they were mating with a research topic for life. Instead, faculty should counsel students on the way journalists proceed. Start by aggressively narrowing the focus of your research to arrive at a topic with an interesting angle. Then, once you decide on the project’s hypothesis or thesis, flip research from bottom-up to top-down.