Mary E. Brown, Ph.D., Professor
Information Science

Southern Connecticut State University
501 Crescent Street, New Haven, CT 06515

Department of Information and Library Science
Fax: 1.203.392-5780 / Phone: 1.203.392-5781
Toll Free: 1-888-500-SCSU, then press 4

Unit VI:
Triangulation

TRIANGULATION

Triangulation is a procedure for organizing different types of evidence into a more coherent frame of reference or reationship so that they can be compared and contrasted.

Triangulation involves selecting a combination of methods of data collection. Typically it is a combination of observation and interview collected from three perspectives. One form of triangulation is to build relationships among the observations of, for example, the student, the teacher, and a critical friend (a neutral outsider invited to support data collection). Triangulation could also be among the observations of, for example, the student, the classroom teacher, and the library media specialist.

Another form of triangulation is to build relationships among data collected using various techniques, such as stream-of-behavior chronicles, questionnaires, and interviews. Triangulation gives a more balanced picture of the situation and permits contradictions which are often hidden to become visible.

Example 1: building relationships among data collected using various techniques

Effects of Closed Stacks on Users of an Academic Library

The proposed set of studies seeks to determine the actual (outcome measure) and perceived (affective) impact of closed stacks in an academic library.

Three studies are proposed:

1. questionnaire on projects requiring library research and use of Buley and non-Buley resources for completion of projects;
2. focus group interview on services provided or needed to be provided by library staff to compensate for closed stacks; and
3. comparison of resources found by users in a closed versus opened stacks environment.

Example 2: building relationships among the observations from three or more perspectives

One example of triangulation in a school setting. In a school media center the "teacher" could be the school media specialist and the "critical friend" could be the classroom teacher or an outside observer; also, the "teacher" could be also be the team of the school media specialist and the classroom teacher and the critical friend could be an outside observer.

1. Teacher and Critical Friend plan the day, deciding on the aims of the activity and drawing up a list of concrete issues and questions as the focus for data collection
2. On the day, the critical friend observes the activities, spending part of the time taking notes and part taking photographs
3. A short time later, the critical friend interviews three paris of pupils chosen by the teacher, using the photographs as a way of starting the discussion
4. After the lesson, the teacher uses the issues and questions as a framwork for writing detailed notes of his or her perceptions of the day
5. Three sets of data are collected: the views of six pupils (as a partially transcribed interview); the teacher's perception (in writing); and the observer's notes
6. The results are fed directly into plans for a second presentation of the material to a parallel class

1. Complete initial analysis of data from pilot/full study. First apply descriptive statistics. Then, IF Dr. Brown has suggested this, apply appropriate inferential statistics.
2. Write and post to the appropriate discussion thread a draft of the Results section of your research paper (see APA Publication Manual for specifics).