The linkage between quality assurance and research is often ignored or given a perfunctory treatment in many of the distance teaching institutions in India. What is true of India is also true of the developing in world in general. Quality assurance is not simply possible, if proper understanding of the issues concerned is not reflected in the early stages of the distance open learning practices by the institutions. This paper focuses on two sets of quality requirements and analyses the possible repercussions, if the requirements are not met in distance open learning. Finally it suggests a few steps to be taken to generate the necessary awareness about the issues related to quality and research in those institutions which are yet to wake up.