There are increasing pressures on tertiary institutions and academics to provide research. An institute in New Zealand that teaches a degree is required by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) to have active researchers. New Zealand tertiary institutions are also partially funded by the government through new funding schemes referred to as the Performance Based Research Fund (PBRF). The more highly rated institutions are provided more funds. Those institutions that are accredited by other governing entities, such as the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants of New Zealand (NZICA), are also required to provide research output. In an environment that requires research, there appears to be little published discussion of the scholarly activity conducted by proficient researchers. An exhaustive search of research into the factors and scholarly activities of academic business researchers is presented in this paper to understand what researchers do to generate and produce research. The review is intended to capture current ‘best research practice’, as guidance for developing researchers who are themselves seeking to become established. The review indicates that researchers are influenced by daily activities, personal characteristics, career stages, professional associations, and institutional environments.