Multiple methods beyond triangulation: collage as a methodological framework in geography

Abstract

Triangulation is increasingly being seen as a concept that has lost clarity and become too broad to be of use. A new language is required to explain how and why researchers bring together multiple perspectives to study phenomena. By drawing on my own research experiences I propose ‘collage’ as a framework for using multiple methods in geography. This framework differs from triangulation in two important ways: firstly, it brings multiple methods together to elucidate a broad research area rather than a precise one, and secondly, it allows for greater spontaneity and the shifting of the frame of research. This paper explains how multiple methods can be used to gather fragments of knowledge on a topic that, when pieced together, can create a more complex understanding of the wider research area. A focus on this process emphasizes the role of the researcher in putting the pieces together.