The state of the art as a methodological tool: conceptual approaches and criteria for its development.

Abstract

The purpose of this review article is to develop an in-depth reflection on the state of the art as a methodological tool within scientific research. From this perspective, the aim is not only to describe its meaning and define its objectives, but also to offer practical guidelines for its proper development. The methodological proposal is framed within the interpretive paradigm, adopting a qualitative approach based on the hermeneutic method, which allows for a critical understanding and interpretation of the theoretical contributions made by various authors on this concept. In particular, the paper analyzes the approaches of Bojacá (2004), Jiménez (2006), Baeza (2008), Guevara (2016), Saldarriaga (2019), Duque (2021), Rivas (2023), and Martínez et al. (2024), who have contributed to the consolidation of the state of the art as a key instrument for identifying research background, mapping knowledge gaps, and strengthening the theoretical foundation in different fields of knowledge.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.52783/rcp.1248