Despite being accepted as a key function in research management, research planning seems to be a neglected practice in some higher education institutions, particularly in economically disadvantaged countries such as Vietnam. This paper addresses a research gap in this area by examining (1) the practices of research planning at four leading Vietnamese universities and (2) the extent to which research planning is undertaken. Through 55 semi-structured interviews with university participants, the study found that despite having goals to be research leaders in the country, the four Vietnamese universities pursue a compliance-based rather than a strategic-based approach to research planning. Based on a framework for measuring strategic research planning, this study proposes strategies and processes to enhance such planning capacity, which may improve research performance.