Exploring the Role of Triangulation in the Production of Knowledge for Urban Health Policy: An Empirical Study from Informal Settlements in Aleppo, Syria

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to illustrate through empirical data the role of within-method triangulation in the production of knowledge that can be used to inform urban policy related to informal settlements. The original aim of the study was to explore mechanisms by which living in informal neighbourhoods influenced women's health. I used 3 different methods for data collection. They included in-depth interviews with 10 key informants (urban planners, health service providers and others with knowledge of informal settlements); in-depth interviews with 10 married women living in various informal neighbourhoods and unstructured observations. The qualitative fieldwork took place in Aleppo, Syria, at the start of the Syrian conflict in April–May 2011. At the time, informal settlements were home to over 40 per cent of the population in Aleppo. I found that triangulation maximised validity of the qualitative study by allowing for complementarity, convergence and divergence between the findings. I conclude by emphasising the usefulness of within qualitative method triangulation in allowing a better understanding of the processes by which informal neighbourhoods influence women's health. Knowledge of these processes is important when developing urban development policies that take into account community needs, especially those of women. In the context of Aleppo, such knowledge will be important for urban and social renewal of informal settlements in post-conflict Syria.