The use of triangulation in qualitative studies employing elite interviews

Abstract

Elite interviews provide valuable information from perspectives of power and privilege. However, the information elites provide may be biased or inaccurate, and researchers must be knowledgeable about the elites they interview. Therefore, the use of triangulation in studies using elite interviews is crucial. This article analyzes more than 120 peer-reviewed articles that reported the findings of elite interview research to understand the researchers’ use of triangulation. This analysis found that triangulation was common in studies that involved elite interviews, particularly by combining interviews with document review. This analysis also found that the purpose and value of triangulation in these studies varied based on the researchers’ interpretive frameworks.