What is triangulation?

themesong

I came across this in a past paper (sociology). Can anyone give me a def. and example of research.
Thanks.

Reply 1

Peacey

themesong

I came across this in a past paper (sociology). Can anyone give me a def. and example of research.
Thanks.

Technically, its involves using the findings of one research method to confirm the findings of another (e.g. using an interview to confirm a researcher's interpretation of an observation).

However, it's used more generally a lot of the time to describe any piece of research which uses more than one method (this, technically, is Methodological Pluralism - of which Triangulation is one advantage - but nevermind). An example is Barker's "Making of a Moonie".

Reply 2

LubyLoo

Where a sociologist uses both quantitative and qualitative research methods in their study.

Reply 3

Unregistered

It is used to overcome the weaknesses of one research method by using another to reiterate/disprove findings.

Reply 4

tis_me_lord

Well, some people like quantative data, but this has flaws like lacking validity.

Some like qualitive data bit this isn't reliable or representative.

So triangulation is a genius combination of the two, to use a range of methods to eliminate as many flaws as possible.

Eileen Barker, making a moonie, as somebody else said, is the best study on this to use.

Reply 5

priz54

using a variey of research methods in a single piece of research - maybe use to make more valid, reliable, buld a fuller picture or back by qualititive date with quantiative data

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Reply 6

lawrence4

A combination of research methods, quantitative (numbers, can measure) and qualitative (subjective, cannot measure)