Team research in clinical settings
strategies for the qualitative researcher
pp. 24-36
in: Derek Colquhoun, Allan Kellehear (eds), Health research in practice, Berlin, Springer, 1993Abstract
A team is a group drawn together for a common purpose, a purpose which the individual cannot achieve alone. Individual action is necessarily constrained. A team of draught oxen is yoked and bound, and even whipped, so that they pull in one direction. Teams of people are more commonly directed by rules which define the role of each team member and place limits on what the individual may do. Learning to play a team game requires the development of individual skills and learning the rules of the game.