Data triangulation in qualitative research helping research. Validity, reliability and triangulation in case study method. Triangulation in social science triangulation is defined as the mixing of data or methods so that diverse viewpoints or standpoints cast light upon a topic. In this session, the workshop explored some of the key considerations of data analysis and interpretation for a complex, mixed methods evaluation, and particularly the use of triangulation and synthesis among multiple complementary sources of information and multiple evaluators to enhance the robustness, quality, and credibility of the evidence for evaluation conclusions and recommendations. The term triangulation refers to the practice of using multiple sources of data or multiple approaches to analyzing data to enhance the credibility of a research study. In triangulation we can use morethan one method to understand the phenomene very well. Involves using different sources of information in order to increase the validity of a study these sources are likely to be stakeholders in a programparticipants, other researchers, program staff, other community. Methodological triangulation can be subdivided into two types.
Triangulation has a long history in qualitative and social research as an implicit and explicit concept. Triangulation is the term used to describe this comparison and meshing of different data, be it combining quantitative with qualitative, or qual on qual. Journal of mixed methods research triangulation and mixed the. Some see triangulation as a method for corroborating findings and as a test for validity. The more data is collected, the more contradictions. Originating in navigational and surveying contexts, triangulation aligns multiple perspectives and leads to a more comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon of interest. Triangulation is a method used to increase the credibility and validity of research findings.
Triangulation surveying is the tracing and measurement of a series or network of triangles to determine distances and relative positions of points spread over an area, by measuring the length of one side of each triangle and deducing its angles and length of other two sides by observation from this baseline. National academies of sciences, engineering, and medicine. Consider the following simplified scenario of triangulating data. Changing sociocultural dynamics and implications for national security. Triangulation in qualitative research has come to mean a multimethod approach to data collection and data analysis. Data collection was undertaken for a period of six months, ensuring time triangulation. Department of commerce national oceanic and atmosplrerc admirrktrath national ocean survey. Methodological triangulation is the most common type of triangulation. Denzin 1978 and patton 1999 identified four types of triangulation. The following sections provide an overview of each of these designs.
Once the trends in family planning practices in swaziland were established, a structured interview schedule was developed for quantitative data gathering methodological triangulation. Qualitative and quantitative methods can really be mixed 1. Triangulation involves using multiple data sources in an investigation to produce understanding. Alternatively, the study may use two different data collection methods as with qualitative and quantitative. Triangulation of methods that include an investigation of potential divergences within the outcome will increase the confidence in a study tremendously. These types of data triangulation come as the result of the idea that the robustness of data can vary based on the.
In social science triangulation is defined as the mixing of data or methods so that diverse viewpoints or standpoints cast light upon a topic. In this paper, five types of triangulation will be examined. The use of triangulation in qualitative research pubmed. Clearly, the more ways of triangulation that are used, the more likely it is that any findings or analyses will be credible. Triangulation also has been viewed as a qualitative research strategy to test validity through the convergence of information from different sources. The contributors to this volume raise many questions about the meaning of triangulation, its philosophical positioning in the mixed methods community, and strategies for using triangulation in the design of mixed methods studies, analysis and interpretation of data, and making. The principle behind triangulation was used before the concept itself was introduced and formulated in the social sciences, thus it can be seen as an implicit concept in the history of qualitative research. Triangulation in data collection sage research methods. The four major types of mixed methods designs are the triangulation design, the embedded design, the explanatory design, and the exploratory design. The triangulation method is designed to remove possible discontinuities between adjacent points by fitting a plane through three samples that surround the point being estimated.
Methodological triangulation has been found to be beneficial in. The method is based on selecting the nearest three locations with measured data values that form a triangle, as shown in figure 437. Jan 18, 2018 triangulation is a term that is frequently mentioned in publications of qualitative studies. Triangulation may include multiple methods of data collection and data analysis, but does not suggest a fix method for all the researches. The need to use two or more methods in order to obtain conclusive results in qualitative research can be justified from the fact that qualitative researchers are normally interested in investigating the why and how aspects and a single method cannot explain every aspect of every phenomenon. Mar 12, 2019 triangulation is a strategy that emotionally unstable people can use to manipulate a situation. It can become a chronic process for individuals who are inclined to be manipulative in order to get their way or pit people against one another. This assumes that a weakness in one method will be compensated for by another method, and that it is always possible to make. Triangulation in research, with examples evidencebased nursing. Triangulation is a process of triangulating data points with the same values based on their x and y locations. Methodological triangulation was achieved by comparing observational data and interviews to validate converging findings and to uncover.
Trilateration and triangulation 3 hr chapterchapterchapterchapter 8888 er. Researchers create tables containing all of their retrieved data to analyze and capture demographic information that may be important to the study. Understanding triangulation in research roberta heale,1 dorothy forbes2 the term triangulation originates in the. The use of triangulation in social sciences research. Pramesh hada be civil, msc urban planning assistant professor nepal engineering college, changunarayan,bhaktapur by. Triangulation in qualitative research quirkos qualitative. There are different methods in triangulation like investigator triangulation, theory triangulation.
Triangulation is a powerful technique that facilitates validation of data through cross verification from two or more sources. Understanding triangulation in research evidencebased nursing. Triangulation qualitative research guidelines project. Data triangulation involves the use of heterogeneous data sources, for example, qualitative and quantitative. The term triangulation or concurrent triangulation comes from the three concurrent levels of testing in many triangulation studies. Revisiting triangulation in qualitative research scholarworks. In social science, there are five types of triangulation which are. One approach to promote social change, mitigate bias, and enhance reaching data saturation is through triangulation. The following is a screenshot of, 30, 50, 100, 50, 100, 30, 70, 40 locations plotted using the scatterareaseries. I dont think of a data in qualitative research as being a static and definite thing.
The methods chosen in triangulation to test the validity and reliability of a study depend on the criterion of the research golafshani, 2003. The authors used methodological triangulation in their study of people who had moved to retirement communities in ohio, us. Typically, scholars mention triangulation in discussions to do with how the quality or validity of a study might be assured e. Choosing a mixed methods design sage publications inc. Understanding triangulation in research evidencebased. The qualitative report volume 17 number 1 january 2012 254280. Market researchers prepare qualitative data from surveys, interviews, and focus groups for analysis and triangulation, in this case, to align multiple perspectives to understand an area of interest. G data triangulation, g investigator triangulation, g theory triangulation, g methodological triangulation, and g environmental triangulation. Triangulation has been viewed as a somewhat controversial practice hilton, 2002. The basic idea underpinning the concept of triangulation is that the phenomena under study can be understood best when approached with a variety or.
Triangulation in research, with examples evidencebased. Triangulation is a method used by qualitative researchers to check and establish validity in their studies. The mixing of data types, known as data triangulation, is often thought to help in validating the claims that might arise from an initial pilot study. However, in social development triangulation may not be a smooth process, and it is likely that contradictions will occur. What is triangulation of data in qualitative research. Triangulation is an attempt to map out, or explain more fully, the richness and complexity of human behavior by studying it from more than one standpoint.