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Interprofessional education needs focal points, in theory and in research - a strong theory that will allow the evaluation of parameters associated with interprofessional collaboration in education and practice, and that involves a mix of health and human service professions both within the university, and with community partners. Over the past 50 years it has become clear that there is a tremendous need to develop a true basis for scholarship for IPE - a need to examine its theoretical bases through a number of different academic disciplines such as sociology, philosophy, anthropology, economics, political science which offer theories, methods and data to inform this work.

This article is a draft version of the following publication: Gilbert, J.H.V. (2005). Why IPE Needs Theory and Research. The Theory Practice Relationship in Interprofessional Education. London, U.K.: The Higher Education Academy, Occasional Paper No. 7. It is available for download with the permission of the author.