Data Collection and Triangulation

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Data Collection and Triangulation

• Edwin D. Bell
• Winston-Salem State University

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What Do You Want to Know?

• Your data collection method is determined by the
  questions that you wish to ask.
• You need to identify a data source, i.e., where
  you want to get the information from, which may
  be people or things, e.g. records, minutes, or
  newspapers.

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How Do You Get It?

• How you get the data that you wish from the data
  source is called the data collection method.
• The methods may include tests, surveys,
  interviews, attitude scales, observations, and
  journals (see Mills, 2003, Chapter 3)

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Triangulation

• It is generally accepted in action research that
  researchers should not rely on any single source
  of data, interview, observation, or instrument
  (Mills, 2003, p. 52)
• In research terms, this desire to use multiple
  sources of data is referred to as triangulation.
  ( Mills, 2003, p. 52)

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Sample Triangulation Matrix

• On the following slide is a sample triangulation
  matrix for an action research project of a
  teacher that wanted to see if some new
  instructional software would improve students
  keyboarding skills

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  Figure 1. Triangulation Matrix Example ( Mills,
2003)
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Data Collection Considerations

• Validity Does the instrument or study measure
  what it intends to measure? Triangulation tries
  to build on concurrent validity do different
  assessments of the same thing get a similar
  result
• Reliability Would the instrument or study
  produce the same result?

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Reference

• Mills, G. E. (2003), Action Research A Guide for
  the Teacher Researcher, 2nd Edition,
  Merrill/Prentice-Hall Upper saddle River, NJ.