USING THE POLYANALYST PLATFORM TO ANALYZE A DATABASE OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL INTERVIEWS

The article is devoted to the research experience of using the tools of the PolyAnalyst analytical platform in the field of history and social anthropology. PolyAnalyst is the first Russian analytical platform with a translucent interface that provides access to machine analytical data to users who do not have programming skills. This functionality, in our opinion, allows considering PolyAnalyst as a promising auxiliary method in the humanities. The authors tested text analytics algorithms embedded in the PolyAnalyst program to solve applied and theoretical problems in the field of social sciences and humanities using the material from their own database “Anthropological interviews with residents of Moscow and the Moscow region: “Everyday life in the 1990s.” The database, which includes 50 in-depth semi-structured interviews, was created by the authors of the article as part of the work on the study “Socio-economic transformation of Russia in 1987–1999. Between reform projects and social reality”. The interim findings of this study formed the basis of a hypothesis, which the authors tried to test using machine analytics. The authors explain methods of computer processing of natural languages, analyze specific methods and tools of the program used. The pros and cons of working on the platform are considered, ways to improve algorithmic rhythms and methods of working on the platform are proposed with sources on social anthropology and history. Conclusions are drawn about the feasibility and prospects for using this program to solve research problems in the social sciences and humanities.