Brazil is one of the mega biodiverse countries on the planet. As a strategy to safeguard its biodiversity, the country has heavily relied on protected areas (PAs). However, gaps in research and management of PAs, in Brazil and in other countries, still exist, so studies that include Rapid Assessment and Prioritization of Protected Areas Management (RAPPAM) are essential to evaluate the role and performance of PAs. The aim of this data colection was, among others, to assess the effectiveness of Brazilian PAs based on perceptions of managers and researchers, using a mix-method approach that includes, but is not limited to, RAPPAM. We applied two online surveys (OSs), in 2016 and 2017, with managers and other staff of Brazilian PAs, and obtained 306 fully- or partially-responded surveys. The research permits required at the time of the beginning of this research project (April 2015) were obtained from ICMBio. OS1 was authorized under the registration number 55227-1 with the Biodiversity Authorization and Information System (SISBio) and OS2 was authorized under the registration number 55227-2. This survey compiled with informed consent, privacy and confidentiality procedures, in addition to the right to withdraw from the online surveys prior to publication.