Triangulation (Üçleme) Prof Dr. Remzi ALTUNIŞIK

Origins of Triangulation In the social sciences, triangulation is often used to indicate that two (or more) methods are used in a study in order to check the results. The concept of triangulation is borrowed from navigational and land surveying techniques that determine a single point in space with the convergence of measurements taken from two other distinct points. The idea is that one can be more confident with a result if different methods lead to the same result. Triangulation is a powerful technique that facilitates validation of data through cross verification from two or more sources. In particular, it refers to the application and combination of several research methods in the study of the same phenomenon

Uses of Triangulation It can be used in both quantitative (validation) and qualitative (inquiry) studies. It is a method-appropriate strategy of founding the credibility of qualitative analyses. It becomes an alternative to traditional criteria like reliability and validity. It is the preferred line in the social sciences. By combining multiple observers, theories, methods, and empirical materials, researchers can hope to overcome the weakness or intrinsic biases and the problems that come from single method, single-observer and single-theory studies.

Hence, Triangulation, … refers to the use of more than one approach to the investigation of a research question in order to enhance confidence in the ensuing findings. Since much social research is founded on the use of a single research method and as such may suffer from limitations associated with that method or from the specific application of it, triangulation offers the prospect of enhanced confidence. Triangulation is one of the several rationales for MULTIMETHOD RESEARCH. Also called convergent validation

Types of Triangulations Denzin (1970) extended the idea of triangulation beyond its conventional association with research methods and designs. He distinguished four forms of triangulation: 1. Data/Source triangulation 2. Investigator/Analyist triangulation 3. Theoretical triangulation 4. Methodological triangulation

Data/Sources Triangulation which entails gathering data through several sampling strategies, so that slices of data at different times and social situations, as well as on a variety of people, are gathered. comparing people with different views at different points in time In public vs. private settings

Investigator/Analyist Triangulation which refers to the use of more than one researcher in the field to gather and interpret data. The intention is not to seek consensus, but to understand multiple ways of interpreting data.

Theoretical/Perspective Triangulation which refers to the use of more than one theoretical position in interpreting data.

Methodological Triangulation which refers to the use of more than one method for gathering data. This, as the preceding discussion implies, is the most common of the meanings of the term. complementary aspects of same phenomenon Common to have both qualitative and quantitative together

Within-Method and Between-Method Triangulation Denzin drew a distinction between within-method and between-method triangulation. Within-method triangulation involves the use of varieties of the same method to investigate a research issue; for example, a self-completion questionnaire might contain two contrasting scales to measure emotional labor. Between-method triangulation involved contrasting research methods, such as a questionnaire and observation. Sometimes this meaning of triangulation is taken to include the combined use of QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH and QUALITATIVE RESEARCH to determine how far they arrive at convergent findings (see MULTIMETHOD RESEARCH). For example, a study in the United Kingdom by Hughes et al. (1997) of the consumption of “designer drinks” by young people employed both structured interviews and focus groups. The two sets of data were mutually confirming in that they showed a clear pattern of age differences in attitudes toward these types of alcoholic drinks.

Within- and Between Method Triangulation- cont. Triangulation can have other meanings and uses as well. There is the "within-method" kind (Denzin, 1978: 301) which uses multiple techniques within a given method to collect and interpret data. For quantitative methods such as survey research, this can take the form of multiple scales or indices focused on the same construct. For qualitative methods such as participant observation, this can be reflected in "multiple comparison groups" (Glaser and Strauss, 1965: 7) to develop more confidence in the emergent theory. In short, "within-method" triangulation essentially involves cross-checking for internal consistency or reliability while "between-method" triangulation tests the degree of external validity.

How many methods are needed? Triangulation is sometimes used to refer to all instances in which two or more research methods are employed. Thus, it might be used to refer to multimethod research in which a quantitative and a qualitative research method are combined to provide a more complete set of findings than could be arrived at through the administration of one of the methods alone.

Triangulation and Convergent Validity Triangulation has come to assume a variety of meanings although the association with the combined use of two or more research methods within a strategy of CONVERGENT VALIDITY is the most common. In recent years, it has attracted some criticism for its apparent subscription to a naively realist position.

Kaynakça Denzin, Norman K. 1978 The Research Act, 2d ed. New York: McGraw-Hill. Jick, Todd D., 1979, “Mixing Qualitative and Quantitative Methods: Triangualtion in Action”, Administrative Science Quarterly, Volume 24, December, pp. 602-611.