Abstract

BENAVIDES, Mayumi Okuda  and  GOMEZ-RESTREPO, Carlos. Methods in Qualitative Research: Triangulation . rev.colomb.psiquiatr. [online]. 2005, vol.34, n.1, pp.118-124. ISSN 0034-7450.

When reading the report of a quantitative study, it is easier to determine the quality of it by analyzing the primary and secondary validity criteria of the study, whereas in qualitative research this task acquires complexity due to the different nature of the methodology, kinds of data, and types of research questions dealt by these types of studies. Aspects like external and internal validity have different meanings in this type of approach. Triangulation is one of the tools qualitative research uses to add validity and quality to these studies. This article is aimed to define this term in a simple manner and to describe the different conceptions of it, emphasizing the advantages of its use. The different types of triangulation are explained, describing how they can enrich a study. Finally, there is a critic on triangulation as a tool for validity.

Keywords : Qualitative research; validity.

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