Lo cualitativo, sus métodos en las ciencias sociales

Abstract

This article examines the importance of qualitative research in the social sciences, especially when the interest is focused on the understanding in depth of people's life histories, behaviors, and also their interaction in social movements and organizations, that is to say, the relationship between individual and collective actions. The fi rst part of the analysis attempts to explain what is understood by qualitative research and to evaluate its wider development and application in science in general. One advantage of the qualitative approach is that it possesses a variety of methods for the generation of scientifi c knowledge. In the second part of the article we assess the methods that the qualitative research can off er for the description of social phenomena that are not capable of being measured but are required to generate social policies. Finally, we suggest the that ethics should play a greater role in qualitative studies given that the interactive nature of social research can result in omissions or distortions that impact on the generation of the scientific knowledge.