Lecture note on triangulation: for Housing Studies students

Lecture note on triangulation: for Housing Studies students

In the context of doing a part-Housing Studies dissertation project, please clarify whether using (1) two academic theories and (2) using two primary research methods, to study the same research topic, e.g. to evaluate the experience on residential quality of the Hong Kong Gen z in coliving apartments, are a kind of triangulation? If so, please provide 3 straightforward steps to conduct it in case 1 (related to academic theories) and case 2 (related to research methods).

 

Yes—provided the two theories or two methods are used deliberately to examine the same defined research question, and you compare what each contributes rather than merely listing them.

For your example—Hong Kong Gen Z residents’ experience of residential quality in co-living apartments—these are two distinct forms of triangulation:

Your design choice	Appropriate label	What it does
Two academic theories applied to the same evidence	Theoretical triangulation	Interprets the phenomenon through more than one conceptual lens
Two primary research methods used for the same question	Methodological triangulation	Builds evidence using more than one method and compares/integrates the findings

Triangulation is not a guarantee that both strands will produce identical results. The value is in identifying whether results converge, provide complementary insights, or diverge—and explaining why.pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih+2

Case 1: Two theories

Using two theories can be theoretical triangulation when each theory meaningfully frames or interprets residential-quality experience, rather than being decorative background literature. Theories should be compatible enough to be used together, but sufficiently distinct to add a different analytical angle.pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih+1

For example:

• Residential satisfaction / housing quality theory: evaluates perceived adequacy of space, facilities, privacy, safety, management and value for money.
• Place attachment theory: evaluates whether residents develop belonging, identification, emotional connection and a sense of “home” despite flexible leases and high resident turnover.

Three practical steps

1.    Assign a clear role to each theory.
State the same overarching question, such as: “How do Hong Kong Gen Z residents experience residential quality in co-living apartments?” Then define what each theory will examine. The first lens may assess functional and evaluative housing quality; the second may explain emotional and social experience of home.

2.    Develop one integrated analytical framework.
Turn both theories into interview topics, survey dimensions, or coding categories. For example, include privacy, crowding, shared amenities and management under residential quality; include belonging, neighbour interaction, stability and identification with the residence under place attachment. Avoid asking essentially identical questions under two theory labels.

3.    Analyse through each lens, then compare interpretations.
First report the findings according to Theory A, then Theory B. Finally, integrate them:

o   Convergence: Private rooms and good management improve both satisfaction and belonging.

o   Complementarity: Residents may rate facilities highly but still lack attachment because turnover prevents stable social relationships.

o   Divergence: Some residents may be satisfied precisely because co-living feels temporary and does not require emotional attachment.

This final comparison is the triangulation step—not simply using two theories in the literature review.bmj+1

Case 2: Two primary methods

Using, for instance, a survey plus semi-structured interviews is between-method methodological triangulation. Surveys can indicate the distribution and association of experiences across a broader group, while interviews can explore meaning, mechanisms and contradictions in depth. Methodological triangulation may combine qualitative and quantitative methods, but it can also use two different qualitative methods.pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih+1

A feasible part-time dissertation combination could be:

• An online survey of Hong Kong Gen Z co-living residents.
• Semi-structured interviews with a smaller purposive subsample of residents.

Three practical steps

1.    Specify shared constructs and the integration purpose.
Use the same core concept—residential quality—but decide what each method contributes. For example, the survey measures residents’ ratings of privacy, affordability, facilities, security, noise, social interaction and overall satisfaction. Interviews explore why these features matter and how residents negotiate shared living. This is often a practical pragmatist mixed-methods rationale.

2.    Collect and analyse each dataset rigorously on its own.
Analyse survey data using descriptive statistics and, if suitable for your sample, comparisons or associations. Analyse interviews with thematic analysis. Do not merge raw survey responses and interview quotations prematurely: each method needs a transparent sampling, data-collection and analysis procedure.

3.    Integrate results in a comparison matrix.
Place each key finding from the survey beside the related interview theme, then classify the relationship as convergence, complementarity or divergence. For example:

Residential-quality issue	Survey result	Interview result	Integrated interpretation
Privacy	Many respondents rate privacy poorly	Residents describe noise, thin walls and lack of control over common areas	Convergence: privacy is a central residential-quality problem
Social interaction	Average rating is neutral	Some value networking; others avoid common areas	Complementarity: “neutral” conceals sharply different experiences
Affordability	Most see rents as relatively acceptable	Residents say affordability is accepted only because the tenancy is short and location is convenient	Complementarity: affordability is conditional, not necessarily perceived as good value

A “joint display” or convergence matrix makes the integration visible to examiners and prevents a weak design in which a survey and interviews are reported as two unrelated mini-studies.bmj

Important distinction

Two theories plus two methods means you may use both theoretical and methodological triangulation in one dissertation. However, do not claim triangulation merely because you have more than one element. You need to show:

• One coherent research topic and aligned research questions.
• A justified reason each theory or method offers a distinct perspective.
• An explicit comparison and integrated interpretation of findings.
• Honest reporting of inconsistency rather than forcing agreement.

For a manageable part-time Housing Studies project, a strong formulation would be: “This study adopts theoretical triangulation by interpreting Gen Z co-living experiences through residential satisfaction and place attachment perspectives, and methodological triangulation by integrating a resident survey with semi-structured interviews.”