Research is a requisite for most of the undergraduate honors degrees offered by universities worldwide and these undergraduates are expected to submit a dissertation based on their research. Given the new demands of this independent component of learning, it is important to understand the challenges faced by students and the strategies that they employ in successfully navigating the various components of this process. This knowledge is useful to mentors and course developers as it provides insights about the firsthand experience of the students. The present study used a qualitative research design to investigate the research experience of a purposive sample of undergraduates who completed their Bachelor of Arts Honors in English and English Language Teaching in an open and distance university in Sri Lanka in the academic year 2017/2018. The responses from 12 undergraduates in the form of written stories were coded and analyzed thematically. The study revealed areas which need attention by mentors, faculty, and universities, especially those in open and distance contexts, when providing support to novice researchers.

This article presents the findings of a study which investigated the needs and expectations of a group of students registered for an undergraduate degree programme offered in the medium of English which is the students' second language (L2), at the Open University of Sri Lanka. The study was conducted at the beginning of the English for General Academic Purposes (EGAP) Course which is offered to these undergraduates to enhance their core academic English language skills. The views of the teachers of main subject disciplines about the importance of English for successful functioning in their respective academic disciplines were also investigated. The challenges, constraints and possibilities in meeting the needs and expectations of these stakeholders are also discussed.