In this article, I explore the epistemological and methodological dimensions of my research regarding representation and identification in the context of the National Street Children Movement in Brasília, the capital of Brazil. The research, carried out between 2005 and 2008, is theoretically informed by Critical Discourse Analysis and Critical Realism. My aim is to show the relations between research dimensions, research questions, methods and ontological components, in accordance to this theoretical background. In order to do so, I also describe the methods used in the field and discuss some of the research outcomes.