Cartographic work has always gone hand in hand with the effort for the advancement of knowl­edge in many fields. In this paper we will sketch a cartography of qualitative methodology in Spain. Just like a painter who works on a portrait, we will proceed to add layers, colours, per­spec­tives and depth as we go on with our description. The final picture will serve as a window through which the past, present and future of qualitative social research in our country can be observed. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0503183