Introduction to triangulating data

Abstract

This chapter introduces the final section of the volume, which profiles findings of the MYPLACE project derived from the triangulation of primary empirical data. Mixed method research is now widely used and its capacity to enhance understanding of social phenomena is increasingly accepted. Yet, mixing methods is simultaneously ‘old’ and ‘emergent’, remaining burdened by controversy and difficulty. This chapter outlines how mixed methods were used in the MYPLACE project; specifically, how quantitative (survey) and qualitative (semi-structured interview) data were collected, integrated and triangulated. Drawing on the findings of subsequent chapters in this section of the volume, this introduction discusses the main objectives and added value of employing triangulation of data and suggests ways in which different forms of triangulation may be applied in future analyses.