| Abstract: |
Social Sciences can, on occasions, be similar to the so called “hard”
sciences. However, in many cases, neither the object nor the classical methods
fit in with the objectives of the work. The object requires methodological and
technical adjustments, which are often avoided by means of an improper
rigidity of the object’s needs. These adjustments can even alter the original
research idea. The main objective of this article consists of proving that
those objects of study, less suitable to be addressed by rigid positivistic
strategies, can be approached both scientifically and sociologically. This can
be achieved with the use of different strategies and flexible methodologies to
ensure validity and reliability standards. This paper will be posed, firstly,
a reflection on the epistemological nature of the debate about the
rigid-flexible perspectives. Secondly, the strategies and tools used by the
research team to achieve the reduction of the uncertainty about the size and
characteristics of the population studied will be described. Finally, some of
the survey results obtained in this project will be compared to those provided
by the FAMILITUR Survey (2008), conducted by the Spanish Institute of Tourist
Studies (IET) |