Most research is based on questions deriving from a solid ground of previous findings. But occasionally this basis of knowledge is itself shaken because the whole foundation is being questioned. This is the case with open and distance education where we may see a paradigm shift in the organisation of all forms of education because of the immense possibilities for removing barriers of time and distance in the evolving information society. In this context it will be most fruitful to concentrate on applied research based on today's systems and knowledge in an an increasingly competitive learning envirnment. Research strategies should be user driven, involving central actors such as the public authorities who fund and control much education provision, and should lead to cost effective, realistic large scale demonstrator projects within a maximum time scale of 5 years. At the same time it is important to keep in mind the possibility of a radically changed educational environment in the near future. A special problem relates to the pace of technological change in developing countries where specific R&D programmes may need to be developed to match their technological sophistication