Bernard Loomis said that research is 'like driving a car using a rear-view mirror' because it tells you what people were thinking about yesterday, not tomorrow. Academics and practitioners are likely to differ in their view about this statement. Each group undertakes research, but their motives, opportunities and constraints in doing so differ. Ideally research involves thinking and doing in an iterative way to produce optimum results. But how does this work in practice? This paper will explore the dynamics of research in an academic and practitioner environments in the field of archives, records and information management.