Advancing qualitative methods to explore team cognition in complex task environments

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to advocate for the value of qualitative methods in studying team cognition in complex task environments. Design/methodology/approach First, the authors provide a conceptualisation of teamwork as interaction, before narrowing the focus to team cognition and outlining the historic difficulties associated with studying this construct. Next, they explain why qualitative methods are key to furthering the understanding of team cognition, especially in guiding future interdisciplinary designs. The authors present cognitive task analysis (CTA) as an example qualitative approach previously used across disciplines of psychology, management and human factors to study individual cognition and propose how it can be adapted to meet the methodological demands of studying team cognition. Findings The authors provide an overview of CTA as a qualitative approach that enhances the rigorous elicitation and documentation of complex cognitive processes using interview-based methods. They provide a detailed outline of how one specific CTA method, the Critical Decision Method, might be adapted to studying team cognition and identify areas for future research, as well as possible limitations. Originality/value The application and advancement of applied qualitative methods in the study of team cognition has much to offer research and practitioners. Collectively, the call to action ignites alternative qualitative methods for understanding team cognition in complex settings, which is a key first step to informing the design of future interdisciplinary research.