The study analyses critically the technique of Rapid Rural Appraisal within the scope of its use in rural development projects. The RRA consists of various methodological procedures originated from ethnographical and anthropological sciences combined with research methods used in social sciences. The main characteristics of RRA can be summed up to three: a) efficiency in terms of costs and time; b) a multidisciplinary approach in gathering data about needs of change of rural population; and c) in view of implementing a rural development action. The RRA is an emerging methodological tool that is being employed in rural sciences. The technique was applied in the study of agro-tourism in the Municipio of MATA, RS, Brazil.
Rapid Rural Appraisal; rural development; sondeo approach; multidisciplinarity.