Input and concepts for building social research projects: Reflections through epistemology and methodology

ABSTRACT This paper is written to students, university teachers, and researchers. It aims to contribute to the debate on construction and development of research projects, based on the authors' professional experience in teaching the discipline of Methodology in Social Research, in the Postgraduate Public Health Program of the Social Sciences Department of the Sergio Arouca National School of Public Health, of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (DCS/Ensp/Fiocruz). The aim is to reflect on common issues, such as: What are 'research projects', 'methodology', 'method', 'object', 'objectives', 'techniques'? How to overcome the recurring confusion that takes place between these words, which creates problems in construction of projects? How to think of the relationships between such concepts in the process of construction of a research project and during its execution?