The ability to meaningfully engage with primary literature is critical to graduate students’ scholarly development (Kamler & Thomson, 2006; Lovitts, 2007). Specifically, the ability to identify and apply relevant literature to sustain a reasoned argument or coherent story is thought to be a primary indicator of development as a researcher (Kiley, 2009; Kiley & Wisker, 2009). However, learning how to engage with primary literature is an often overlooked component of higher education (Authors et al., 2010-a). Further, investigation into how, when, and why graduate students engage with primary literature is scarce. This study explores the nature of graduate students' engagement with primary literature in terms of processes, timing, and motivation for engagement.