title: Methodological triangulation: an approach to understanding data.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the use of methodological triangulation in a study of how people who had moved to retirement communities were adjusting.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Methodological triangulation involves using more than one kind of method to study a phenomenon. It has been found to be beneficial in providing confirmation of findings, more comprehensive data, increased validity and enhanced understanding of studied phenomena. While many researchers have used this well-established technique, there are few published examples of its use.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors used methodological triangulation in their study of people who had moved to retirement communities in Ohio, US.
  
  
  METHODS
  A blended qualitative and quantitative approach was used.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The collected qualitative data complemented and clarified the quantitative findings by helping to identify common themes. Qualitative data also helped in understanding interventions for promoting 'pulling' factors and for overcoming 'pushing' factors of participants. The authors used focused research questions to reflect the research's purpose and four evaluative criteria--'truth value', 'applicability', 'consistency' and 'neutrality'--to ensure rigour.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This paper provides an example of how methodological triangulation can be used in nursing research. It identifies challenges associated with methodological triangulation, recommends strategies for overcoming them, provides a rationale for using triangulation and explains how to maintain rigour.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Methodological triangulation can be used to enhance the analysis and the interpretation of findings. As data are drawn from multiple sources, it broadens the researcher's insight into the different issues underlying the phenomena being studied.
authors: Marquette University College of Nursing, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. abir.bekhet@marquette.edu
authors: Abir K
authors: AK
authors: Bekhet
authors: Jaclene A
authors: JA
authors: Zauszniewski
mesh_terms: D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods*; D012179:Retirement