Triangulation

The term triangulation is taken from navigation and land surveying, where the sightings of two (or more) landmarks are used to locate a third position. Used in social science, triangulation similarly involves the comparison of two or more forms of evidence with respect to a single object of research interest. The goal is the convergence of meaning from more than one direction; multiple sources, methods, theories, or researchers are used to dispel doubts about a study’s findings. Triangulation is used to increase the confidence of findings for both the researcher and the audience, and is a strategy that purports to add rigor and depth to the methodology portion of a research study.[Page 1782] This entry examines uses and types of triangulation, how it ...