How to Use Data Triangulation in Qualitative Research

In qualitative analysis, information triangulation means approaching a query from a number of views. 

It entails utilizing multiple information supply or technique to analyze a idea or corroborate a discovering. 

For one thing with such a mathematical-sounding title, it’s a reasonably easy idea. Nevertheless it’s a robust one, too. Ask a bunch of 5 boaters why their watercraft sank within the sea and also you’ll get 5 barely completely different tales. Every particular person story holds the bias of its teller. Taken collectively, although, the person accounts type a deeper and extra correct image of what went flawed.

This logic applies to qualitative analysis. Since qualitative information isn’t as cut-and-dry as quantitative data, you want multiple perspective, information kind, and technique to shore it up. 

With triangulation, you give the outcomes a stronger platform to face on. 

When to Use Knowledge Triangulation with Qualitative Knowledge

Should you ask me, there’s by no means a nasty time to do information triangulation while you’re working with qualitative information. 

From a researcher’s standpoint, triangulation can assist you confirm key particulars and strengthen your findings—and your argument.

And if you happen to’re somebody who makes use of qualitative information to tell what you are promoting selections, gathering information from a number of sources is wise. It may allow you to make important selections with a stage of confidence you wouldn’t (and shouldn’t) have if you happen to relied on only one supply. 

In a 2014 journal article printed within the Oncology Nursing Discussion board titled, “The use of triangulation in qualitative research,” authors Nancy Carter, et al., lay out two views of knowledge triangulation. 

They argue that it’s each “using a number of strategies or information sources in qualitative analysis to develop a complete understanding of phenomena” and “a qualitative analysis technique to check validity via the convergence of data from completely different sources.”

Put into less complicated phrases, qualitative information triangulation helps us:

• Acquire a fuller understanding of a analysis matter or argument
• Put our analysis to the take a look at by evaluating and contrasting it with completely different sources on the identical matter

Nicely-rounded arguments profit everybody, on a regular basis. 

So if you happen to’ve been on the fence about whether or not to attract sources from multiple place or use multiple technique in your analysis, take into account this your signal. 

Do it. 

Easy methods to Do Qualitative Knowledge Triangulation 

Earlier than you start operating qualitative information triangulation, it’s useful to know the 4 sorts, as outlined by Carter et al.:

• Technique triangulation: Utilizing two or extra strategies to assemble information
• Investigator triangulation: Counting on the involvement of multiple researcher to gather or analyze the information
• Concept triangulation: Analyzing the data utilizing completely different theoretical views 
• Knowledge supply triangulation: Drawing info from a number of information sources, together with these from completely different occasions, locations, and folks

Figuring out which kind of triangulation to concentrate on might be tough. 

We’ll discover every kind in additional element and counsel inquiries to ask your self while you’re tackling the start of the triangulation course of. 

Technique triangulation

Technique triangulation means utilizing a wide range of analysis strategies to check the identical matter. In qualitative analysis, the most typical data-gathering methods are:

• Interviews
• Focus teams
• Commentary
• Open-ended surveys or questionnaires

So, in qualitative analysis, technique triangulation means gathering information utilizing at the very least two of those strategies. 

However technique triangulation may imply looping in non-qualitative types of information assortment, like demographic info or responses to closed-question (yes-or-no and/or multiple-choice) surveys. Since we’re specializing in qualitative information right here, although, we’ll save mixed-method triangulation for an additional day.

Proper now, our lens is firmly centered on qualitative analysis.

Use technique triangulation when: 

• Leaning closely on one technique will solely provide you with a partial view of your analysis query or matter. Say you’re sending out a survey to seek out what individuals discover most annoying about in-person grocery procuring. You get some attention-grabbing solutions, however you need to dig deeper. You resolve to ship a bunch of consumers right into a retailer with money and a grocery checklist to look at their lived, in-the-moment experiences. Together with the survey responses, you now have a extra full image of widespread grocery-shopping stressors. 
• You must cross-validate findings from completely different strategies. Think about you’re doing in-depth interviews with workers to grasp their job satisfaction. On the identical time, you need to see if these self-reported experiences align with behaviors you may observe throughout the workday. You resolve to pair the interviews with direct office observations. The aim? To see whether or not the staff’ day by day actions match their satisfaction ranges. Should you see any inconsistencies, you may go over them with the interviewee for a extra correct image of their expertise. 

Investigator Triangulation 

The aim of investigator triangulation is to have multiple researcher (or staff of researchers) analyze the identical set of knowledge. Like a peer assessment for a scholarly journal article, investigator triangulation helps cut back bias. This, in flip, strengthens the credibility of your analysis.

However you must watch out to not invite researchers together with your identical opinions and biases to take part in such a triangulation. You don’t need them to verify all the things you’ve researched. You need them to learn it line by line, grappling with the knowledge and pushing you to see it in a brand new gentle.

Attain out to individuals in several—however associated—fields. Invite them to collaborate by analyzing your analysis and fascinating with it from their very own viewpoints. Hear rigorously to what they must say—don’t simply dismiss it since you don’t see issues the identical means.

That is the way you’ll get essentially the most well-rounded evaluation of your qualitative analysis.

Use investigator triangulation when: 

• The analysis entails subjective interpretations or advanced matters. In case your information may very well be considered in a different way relying on the researcher’s perspective, then you definitely want contemporary eyes to take a look at it. Should you’re learning how sufferers understand care in a hospital setting, for instance, one researcher may concentrate on emotional points like empathy. One other won’t take into account this in any respect and as an alternative concentrate on how environment friendly the care is. Each views are necessary to your analysis.
• The subject is delicate or controversial. Should you really feel like your information goes to ignite a firestorm of controversy, you want additional eyes. Numerous them. The extra scrutiny earlier than the information will get printed or used to tell a call, the higher. You need minimal private bias—and most credibility.

Concept Triangulation 

With idea triangulation, you aren’t utilizing completely different information assortment strategies or bringing in researchers with distinctive viewpoints. 

As an alternative, you’re altering the lens via which you see the information.

This method challenges researchers to put aside their authentic theories for analyzing info. It invitations them to make use of at the very least one further, theoretical perspective once they sit all the way down to interpret the information.

Researchers often use idea triangulation when their matter spans multiple self-discipline. Should you had been learning human grocery procuring habits, as an example, you would analyze the outcomes via three lenses:

• Psychological: Research how particular person decision-making processes, feelings, and cognitive biases have an effect on procuring selections. Does impulse shopping for play a task? What about resolution fatigue?
• Sociological: Study the affect of social components. Do cultural norms, peer stress, or household dynamics have an effect on procuring habits? Does social class impression buying habits? In that case, how?
• Financial: Analyze the patrons’ habits via the lens of cost-benefit evaluation, funds limits, and value sensitivity. How do incentives like reductions or promotions affect purchases—or not?

Mainly, idea triangulation pushes you to think about issues from viewpoints you hadn’t earlier than. And it could actually make the outcomes lots meatier than if you happen to relied on a single idea.

Use idea triangulation when: 

• You might be learning a fancy matter that would use a number of completely different theoretical views to be understood. Say you’re wanting on the components behind worker motivation. You may use psychological theories like Maslow’s Hierarchy of Must discover intrinsic motivators. Subsequent, you would use financial theories to check how exterior components like monetary incentives affect efficiency.
• You need to evaluate or take a look at the validity of a number of theories to see which framework most closely fits your information. Let’s think about you’re learning instructional outcomes. You could possibly evaluate Constructivist Concept (centered on how college students construct data) with Behaviorist Concept (centered on reinforcement and self-discipline), to see which one higher explains scholar success.  

Knowledge Supply Triangulation 

With information supply triangulation, your aim is to assemble information from at the very least two sources, however in all probability greater than that.

What does this seem like in qualitative analysis?

It would imply gathering information from: 

• Archival information
• Textual evaluation of coverage/authorized paperwork
• Social media content material
• Information articles, blogs, and different media content material
• The feedback part of any discussion board, web site, or weblog
• Case research
• Literature and paintings

The purpose of knowledge supply triangulation is to check one matter utilizing these various information sources. (If you wish to pull from quantitative information sources like net analytics and public databases, you are able to do that too.)

That is basically one other technique to examine your analysis query from a number of views. However as an alternative of a bunch of various researchers or a set of theories from a number of disciplines, these differing information sources are the opposite views.

Use information supply triangulation when: 

• You must acquire information from completely different sources to assemble views on a subject—with out direct interplay. For instance, say you’re learning public perceptions of local weather change. You need to seize the uncooked, unfiltered emotions and opinions behind this fraught matter. What higher place to go than social media discussions, information articles (and their feedback sections), and authorities reviews? You’ll get tons of wealthy, in all probability brutally sincere information with out ever making your presence as a researcher recognized. 

You need to validate findings throughout present qualitative information sources. Let’s say you’re learning stigmas on psychological well being points. You’ve already used methodological triangulation to assemble qualitative information from interviews and surveys. Now, you need to evaluate this information with themes from on-line boards, weblog posts, and private memoirs. The info present in these sources can assist validate your findings—or convey up new questions and attention-grabbing discrepancies to discover.