Cartografia Investigativa: interfaces epistemologicas comunicacionais para mapear conhecimento em projetos de pesquisa

Abstract

One of today s great challenges in the context of research and learning is to find ways to deal with the overload of data,. New techniques are needed to organize better the whole process of investigation to construct knowledge. When relevant and significant information is mapped, researchers are able to explore theories and practices thoroughly. Students can also immerse deeply in their learning. The key question of this thesis is How can mapping contribute to the process of building knowledge facilitating projects of investigation? . The intention of this work is to offer to researchers, teachers and students strategies to improve their investigations. To answer this problem, I based my investigations on the course "Cartography software in the qualitative research" at PUC-Cogeae Online, from 2003 to 2006. The methodology of this research is ethno research formation. That is to say, planning, discussions and reflections were developed with the research students and the course material was produced during this investigation. In this work, I define what is Investigative Cartography starting with the history of cartography and the concepts of maps and investigation. After that, I discuss epistemological principles to guide the creation of investigative maps, with reference to systemic, hermeneutic and dialectic theories. Then, I analyse the practice, discussing the contributions of mapping in various stages of research: problematization, organization of references, conceptualization, uniting theory and practice, systematization, argumentation and self-organization. About the final considerations, I emphasize how investigative cartography helps researchers be more focussed and engaged in their investigation, and at the same time expand their creative horizons