DESAFIOS NA INVESTIGAÇÃO QUALITATIVA NO CONTEXTO TURISMO EM ZONAS COSTEIRAS: ESTUDO DE CASO DE LAUTÉM

Abstract

The coastal zone is considered a public domain, with its characteristics and potential can attract tourists seeking the experience of sun, sea, and beach. Conducting qualitative studies in this context is challenging. Through reflection on the difficulties of operationalizing a comprehensive umbrella study conducted in coastal areas with a qualitative methodology, the issues that define the scope of this article were identified, focusing on the challenges of conducting qualitative research. This exploratory study seeks to answer the question: What challenges must be overcome when conducting a qualitative study in the field with various stakeholders in a coastal zone? In line with this question, the objective was defined is to identify the main challenges faced in a prior umbrella study, particularly concerning the empirical component carried out in the municipality of Lautém, Timor-Leste. The prior umbrella study was crucially based on conducting interviews with various participants, including representatives of government stakeholders, NGO representatives, and various members of the community. The researcher conducted the interviews locally, needing to overcome linguistic difficulties in a specific context situated in a new country whose population has emerged from conflict and seeks balanced development with nature. In addition to the practical issues inherent in the participation of all interested parties, the researcher consistently prioritized data validity; the interviews were carefully prepared and supported by a research diary note. The final reflection on the difficulties faced highlighted the necessity for this present exploratory qualitative study, which utilized these two sources of data (interviews and research diary), now analyzed through the lens of identifying the challenges encountered. This article follows these steps: identification of the problem, definition of the research question and objective, data collection and analysis, concluding with a discussion of results and proposals for future research.