Social Science and Human Research Bulletin

This article analyzes the methodological trajectory of a qualitative research study dedicated to the functioning of the civil registry in Kinshasa. The study examines the conditions of data production and the strategic choices that made it possible to capture administrative practices in their daily “thickness.”The approach is based on a rigorous triangulation: participant observation at the heart of the offices, semi-structured interviews with stakeholders, and an in-depth documentary analysis. This prolonged immersion helped unveil the interactions between agents and users of Civil Registry of the City of Kinshasa”, as well as the practical logics that structure the "real bureaucracy" beyond official organizational charts. The article demonstrates that this methodological framework is essential for documenting the gap between legal norms and effective practices. By directly addressing the ethical challenges of field access and the management of proximity with respondents, this reflection contributes to the sociology of public action and proposes survey tools adapted to African administrative contexts.

civil registration, public administration, qualitative methodology, participant observation, data triangulation et sociology of public action

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