Triangulation and Methodological Pluralism

• The combination of qualitative and quantitative methods strengthens research. It can be done through either methodological pluralism or triangulation.
• Methodological pluralism is combining two or more methods to achieve a more comprehensive and rounder picture of social reality. It builds up a fuller picture of social life and recognises that each method has its strengths and weaknesses.
• Triangulation is used to assess and get a balance of validity and reliability of research. It is looking at the topic under investigation from different angles so data can be checked and tested. For example, using a large-scale questionnaire to confirm the findings produced in small-scale interviews.
• Triangulation differs from methodological pluralism as it specifically combines quantitative & qualitative to cross-check the findings produced by other methods.
• Another limitation of both methodological pluralism and triangulation is there are issues with comparing results between different types of data. The language and concepts used in one type of data might not translate well into another type of data.
• A limitation of both methodological pluralism and triangulation is it requires additional time and resources to conduct multiple methods. This may not always be possible due to funding constraints.