A case for theory triangulation

Although theory triangulation has not received much attention in the nursing literature, its deliberate, strategic use can be an invaluable guide to reviewing literature and designing research. It can enlarge the framing of questions for orderly data collection and analysis, and can lay out a route for rational, coherent study-clustering. An example is presented that triangulates two nursing theories to address a frequently studied problem--nurses' attitudes about AIDS care. The absence of firm theoretical footing in exploring this problem has limited the application of a large, continuously growing body of empirical data. Triangulation is suggested to organize these data, to clarify apparently inconsistent findings, and to guide research. The example demonstrates how the exploration of related questions not addressed by a single theory may be aided by searching for linkages among mid-range theories, including theories from other disciplines.