Advances in academic studies in tourism, as a multidisciplinary field of knowledge, have revealed new epistemological, theoretical and methodological possibilities for the consolidation of this field of research. In this context, this study presents some peculiarities and trends in qualitative research in this field. This article analyzes the use of data collection instruments in academic papers in tourism completed between 2010 and 2015 for the graduate program in tourism of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). An analysis of seventy master’s degree dissertations, available in the Institution’s repositories, contributed to reflection on the methodological routes taken by the researchers of this program. A preference for the qualitative approach was identified, with the use of a range of data collection instruments, such as semi-structured interviews, documents providing secondary data, and the researchers’ observations. It is believed that the choice of these instruments has furthered a deeper understanding of the tourism phenomenon, ensuring greater methodological rigor in this field of studies. The expansion of this analysis requires new research on papers of other graduate programs in Brazil, as well as more discussions about the adequacy of data collection instruments, objectives, and research methods proposed by academics in the field of tourism.