Triangulation in Ecological Research: Epistemological Roots, Field Realities, and Integrative Pathways

Ecological research is increasingly engaging with systems characterized by uncertainty, nonlinearity, and cross-scale interactions. In this context, triangulation, which is the deliberate integration of multiple methods, datasets, and epistemic standpoints, has re-emerged as a strategy for strengthening ecological inference and enhancing interpretive depth. This paper reframes triangulation as an epistemological framework rather than a technical procedure. It traces its conceptual trajectory from early positivist notions of verification to contemporary pluralist approaches that value uncertainty, contradiction, and situated knowledge. Building on recent theoretical and empirical advances, the study proposes a three-tiered model of ecological triangulation encompassing empirical corroboration, interpretive complementarity, and reflexive integration. Each dimension contributes to methodological rigour, contextual sensitivity, and epistemic inclusivity. However, persistent institutional and structural barriers such as short funding cycles, disciplinary silos, and the privileging of quantitative uniformity limit its broader adoption. The paper argues that ecological science must institutionalise pluralism through new funding, training, publishing, and policy mechanisms. Integrative triangulation, underpinned by ethical reflexivity and co-production, reconciles technological precision with local and Indigenous knowledge systems. In doing so, it provides a normative foundation for equitable, credible, and adaptive ecological research in the Anthropocene.