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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review, evaluate and classify the academic research that has been published in facilities management (FM) and to analyse how FM research and practice are linked. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on literature review and qualitative research. Qualitative data have been gathered from academic papers published in FM‐related journals (i.e. Facilities , Journal of Facilities Management , and the Nordic Journal of Surveying and Real Estate Research – Special Series ) and in conjunction with academic conferences (i.e. European Research Symposium in Facilities Management and the CIB W70 Symposium) between 1996–2005. Findings When analysing empirical research in FM, research papers can be classified according to the FM topics examined in them, the type of research performed and data‐gathering methods used in the study reported, the background of the authors, research field, and research sector. Evaluation of academic papers indicates that the reporting of the methods used, data collection and limitations is inadequate in many academic papers. However, to draw valid conclusions and align FM research, methodical issues should be clearly delineated in research papers. In order to progress, the FM discipline must increasingly employ hypothesis testing and more robust data analysis techniques. Research limitations/implications This research offers new insights into the current state of FM research and sheds light on the development steps needed in future. One limitation of this paper is that it does not include all the empirical research that has been done in FM. Originality/value This paper helps article writers to take into account the important issues brought up in literature when reporting the results of their research in order to improve validity and reliability of their studies.