World Café: desafios e métodos

Abstract

Contextualization: the World Café can be understood as a technique, strategy, or method of collaborative conversation, which enhances dialogue and the collective construction of knowledge about a particular object or problem. Although not widely recognized, it has been reported in studies of different areas, whether in investigations or as a resource to foster debate and seek solutions. Objectives: describe the World Café’s application for data collection and reflect on the possibilities of its use in the digital environment. Development: general descriptions of a methodological nature are presented, including its components and design principles. Five components comprise the basic model 1) Setting. 2) Welcome and introduction. 3) Small group rounds. 4) Questions, and 5) the harvest. The seven design principles aim to guarantee the process standard, flexibility, simplicity, effectiveness in practice, and refer to 1) Defining the context. 2) Creating a hospitable space. 3) Exploring the questions that matter. 4) Encouraging everyone's contribution. 5) Connecting diverse perspectives. 6) Listening to Patterns and Insights together and 7) Share collective discoveries. Furthermore, it is possible to highlight the World Café’s planning, its potential contributions to applications in qualitative research, and the possibilities and limitations of its use in adapted virtual approaches. Final considerations: The World Café is a resource for group data collection in qualitative research by enriching the researchers' tools. It allows the exploration of complex themes by more people in a short time and with greater participation. It also captures individual perceptions and promotes new and creative knowledge through dialogue and reflection.