Reclaiming Triangulation in Qualitative Research: From Sailors and Surveyors to Social Scientists

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 79
  In Roundtable Session: Triangulation and Member Checking

Abstract

Triangulation is quite the buzzword in qualitative research, offering an idealistic solution to validate methods and findings by mediating researcher bias. But triangulation is not a magic trick that resolves the quintessential critique of subjectivity, a hallmark of qualitative research. Although triangulation can be used effectively to enhance quality and broaden the scope of inquiry, it has more to offer in terms of research planning and design. In this paper, we 1) review and critique the concept of triangulation across history and application in qualitative research; 2) reclaim the term through the original association with mathematics and Euclidian geometry, and 3) reimagine triangulation as mapping a constellation of non-linear points, a journey of interrogating the triangle rather than solving it.

Authors

• Earle Reybold, George Mason University

• Kathleen Ann Matson, George Mason University

• Hyle Luke Daley, George Mason University