Resumo

NORENA PENA, Ana Lucía  e  CIBANAL JUAN, Luís. The critical incident technique and its implications in the development of the nursing research. Index Enferm [online]. 2008, vol.17, n.1, pp.48-52. ISSN 1699-5988.

This article describes, in an introductory way, the applicability that the critical incident technique has, as a qualitative research tool. It also explores the value that has been attributed to the technique by diverse disciplines to recollect and analyze qualitative data. Its current acknowledgment is based on the fact that the technique allows to understand some components that can been valued as "critical" among a given activity. It’s been considered that the technique has in the methodological level properties such as practicability, flexibility, versatility, and effectiveness in its application. In this brief dissertation about the technique, it’s described the general characteristics of the technique, its attributes, applications, and the potential and real contributions that its use has in the scientific research and the disciplinary knowledge of nursery.

Palavras-chave : Qualitative Methodology; Critical incident; Nursing research.