What is Triangulation?
Triangulation means using more than one approach to investigating a research question. There are 4 types of triangulation:
Data Triangulation
This involves collecting data through several sampling strategies (in various times or situations).
Example: Gathering data on the number of and types of beverages chosen by different ethnic populations, where data is collected while subjects are alone or in groups.
Investigator Triangulation
This involves gathering data from several studies that used the same method for data collection.
Example: Comparing the results collected from two different university researchers that both used transects and quadrats to measure the relationship between a salinity gradient and the biodiversity of seagrass.
Theoretical Triangulation
This involves using more than one theory to interpret the data collected.
Example: Comparing different parenting systems for modification of behavior using the theories of Classical Conditioning and Operant Conditioning.
Methodological Triangulation
This involves using more than one method to collect data for the same variables.
Example: Using survey results and researcher observations of students to identify the most effective teaching style for memory retention.
Why triangulate methods or data?
Triangulation makes the reader more confident in the results found. In your conclusion, you are persuading the reader that a relationship between variables exists, that a correlation was found. To do this effectively, triangulation can remove doubt and eliminate the impact of errors on the results. Particularly when two researchers' data agree or when two different methods give rise to similar results, the reader will be more inclined to trust the conclusion statement and the evaluation of the hypothesis.
How can I triangulate to improve the reliability of my results, analysis and conclusion?
In History - Collect and analyze a range of primary and secondary sources were varying biases to reconstruct a historical event.
In Biology - Use a combination of research methods that provide both quantitative and qualitative data.
In Psychology - Combine survey data and observation data to correlate stimulus with behavioral response.
In Physics - Compare observations of coupled pendulum energy transfers to the research literature.
Bryman, Alan. Triangulation. Loughborough, Leicestershire: Loughborough University, n.d. PDF.