by PublicABCP
Translated and reviewed by Matheus Lucas Hebling
In response to the scarcity of specialised materials on qualitative methods in the field, Rafael Cardoso Sampaio (UFPR) and Carolina de Paula (IESP-UERJ) edited the Manual de Introdução às Técnicas de Pesquisa Qualitativa em Ciência Política. The volume brings together contributions from 37 authors affiliated with 14 Brazilian institutions and seeks to expand the methodological repertoire available for analysing political phenomena in a discipline historically marked by an emphasis on statistical and quantitative approaches.
Published in 2024 by Enap and freely available in digital format, the book presents a diverse set of techniques and approaches, organised into thematic groups that address topics ranging from data collection and analysis to broader issues such as research ethics and methodological innovation.
Among the topics covered are in-depth interviews, ethnography, focus groups, content analysis and process tracing methods. Each chapter offers practical guidance on how to apply the techniques discussed, with examples drawn from empirical research conducted both in Brazil and internationally.
The manual highlights the increasingly significant presence of digital tools in research practice. Specialised software such as NVivo and MaxQDA, as well as programming languages such as R and Python, are incorporated into the analytical procedures presented.
The adaptation of certain research techniques to digital environments is also examined. One example is ethnography, which is extended to virtual contexts such as social networks and messaging platforms. This approach acknowledges that a substantial portion of contemporary political life — including disputes, mobilisation and meaning-making — takes place online, requiring methods to adapt to these transformations.
Among the innovations introduced, the book presents techniques such as Process Tracing and Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), which enable researchers to address causal inference even in contexts with a limited number of cases — an increasingly common demand in research applied to Brazilian politics.
Beyond operational aspects, the book also discusses the foundational principles underpinning qualitative research, including the need for methodological rigour, clarity in the presentation of procedures and ethical responsibility. This concern runs throughout the chapters, reinforcing the idea that qualitative methodologies, when carefully applied, have the potential to produce dense and contextually informed analyses.
By offering free digital access, the publication also seeks to broaden the reach of methodological debate in political science and to facilitate its appropriation by diverse audiences.
Author Profiles
Rafael Cardoso Sampaio holds a PhD in Political Communication from the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA). He is Professor in the Graduate Programme in Political Science at the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR). He is a researcher at the National Institute of Science and Technology in Digital Democracy (INCT-DD) and at the National Institute of Science and Technology on Transformations in Participation, Associativism and Political Confrontation (INCT Participa). He coordinates the Political Communication and Digital Democracy Research Group (COMPADD).
Carolina de Paula holds a PhD in Political Science from the Institute of Social and Political Studies at the State University of Rio de Janeiro (IESP-UERJ). She works as a consultant in the field of public opinion and citizen, voter and consumer behaviour (in both the private and public sectors). She specialises in qualitative research and new behavioural research methodologies, and is co-creator of the Online Panel for Trend Monitoring (POMT).
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Title: Manual de introdução às técnicas de pesquisa qualitativa em ciência política
Editors: Rafael Cardoso Sampaio and Carolina de Paula
Publisher: Editora Enap
Year of Publication: 2024
ISBN: 978-65-87791-45-6
Available free of charge at: Editora Enap
