In this paper, the author explains the setting at the Institute of Translation Studies at her university, where research training and student research are more institutionalized than in most other translator and interpreter training centres. A research methodology seminar is offered to students, a list of potential topics is presented to them, and project approval and supervision are formalized through a number of steps, including requirements sheets prepared by the supervisor for each student. Two examples of projects are described, one theoretical and one empirical, including the requirements sheet. The article winds up with practical advice, which touches upon issues such as access to subjects, caution when generalizing from a sample, the difficulty of writing up the thesis, and supervisor-supervisee relations.