Triangulation Flashcards
Definition
research where quantitative and qualitative research methods are used to cross-check the findings produced by the other methods
Advantages
it can offer new insights and ways at looking at things, especially if using very different types such as official statistics and observations.
Most sociological methods contain biases. For example, people answering a telephone survey may give different responses from those answering a mail survey, an Internet survey, or in person. By using 3 different methods which compensate for each other’s biases, it is much less likely that all 3 sets of results will show the same atypical data.
By combining qual and quant, a researcher can find trends and inconsistencies through quantitative research, then use qualitative methods to dig into those issues, find out why they occur and learn the thoughts of the individuals involved.
A weakness in one method could be avoided by using a second method nthat is strong in the area that the first is weak.
Limitations
Cost and time
researchers may focus on either qualitative or quantitative methods, may not be accepting of others
While verification of a sociological method is always ongoing, conflicting results are sometimes inevitable. Trying to find the correct interpretation between these conflicting data sets could result in a never-ending process of triangulation.
