Understanding triangulation in research

The term ‘triangulation ’ originates in the field of navi-gation where a location is determined by using the angles from two known points.1 Triangulation in research is the use of more than one approach to researching a question. The objective is to increase con-fidence in the findings through the confirmation of a proposition using two or more independent measures.2 The combination of findings from two or more rigorous approaches provides a more comprehensive picture of the results than either approach could do alone.3 Triangulation is typically associated with research methods and designs. However, there are several other variations on the term. Triangulation may be the use of multiple theories, data sources, methods or investigators within the study of a single phenomenon.2 4 The tech