Uma revisão sobre a pesquisa qualitativa em ciências sociais aplicadas

Abstract

This article presents a review of literature on qualitative research in the field of the applied social sciences, in particular in management studies, showing how qualitative approaches and their different forms of application can contribute to understanding of a phenomenon. Debates about research methods in the social sciences are directly related to assumptions about ontology, epistemology, and human nature (Morgan & Smircich, 1980). This review serves as an introduction to the different approaches, to the assumptions underlying research, to its historical origins, and to its procedures. The essence of qualitative research encompasses the art of transmitting and interpreting meaning, primarily based on qualitative data and inductive theorizing. Qualitative data could be non-reducible texts, including words and visual resources, delivered in static or dynamic form. Although these qualitative data can be digitized, synthesized, and even counted, to do so it is necessary to interpret the data to discern patterns and yield insights. Given the wide range of forms in which qualitative data can appear, researchers’ epistemological premises generally mold their approaches to this analytical process. Qualitative research presents new perceptions that in general can induce theory in completely new directions (Bansal, Smith, & Vaara, 2018). It is essential that qualitative researchers provide detailed reports on their data sources and analyses. An extremely detailed description of all aspects from the initial research design through to submission of the manuscript adds meaning to the data reports and emerging theory, in addition to indicating the quality of the research exercise, the credibility of the researcher and, finally, the reliability of the data and the emerging theory under construction. Therefore, researchers generally put emphasis on a first-person and reflexive description of their methods (Bansal & Corley, 2017). The objective of this review in describing the possible applications of the qualitative approach is to support future researchers in the applied social sciences to employ observation of data to introduce abstract knowledge that can be generalized beyond their specific contexts. Inductive theorizing based on data can expand researchers’ epistemological bases, taking longer strides than with hypodeductive logic based on quantitative data, thereby producing completely new ideas (Bansal, Smith, & Vaara, 2018). Finally, qualitative methods are varied and can make major contributions, attracting new researchers and inspiring new research, amplifying their image of the applied social sciences.

<imgsrc="https://crossmark-cdn.crossref.org/widget/v2.0/logos/CROSSMARK_Color_horizontal.svg" alt="" />