printOpen AI as Assistants in Interview Analysis
Galkin K.A.
Cand. Sci. (Sociol.), Senior Researcher, Sociological Institute of FCTAS RAS, St. Petersburg, Russia Kgalkin1989@mail.ru
Petukhova I.S.
Cand. Sci. (Sociol.), Senior Researcher, Sociological Institute of FCTAS RAS, St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg; Docent of Petrozavodsk State University, Petrozavodsk, Russia. irini-ptz@yandex.ru
Parfenova O.A.
Cand. Sci. (Sociol.), Senior Researcher, Sociological Institute of FCTAS RAS, St. Petersburg, Russia oparfenova@socinst.ru
Galkin K.A., Petukhova I.S., Parfenova O.A. Open AI as Assistants in Interview Analysis. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2025. No 4. P. 105-116
The article discusses possibilities of using software (using QDA Miner Light as an example) and artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze in-depth interviews in sociological research. The authors consider a long-known, but not very widespread in the Russian- speaking segment, QDA Miner, as well as the new and increasingly popular Open AI, as tools that can complement traditional approaches to analyzing qualitative data. Various interview arrays are used to test the tools. The article shows how the use of these technologies improves efficiency of information processing, minimizes errors associated with manual coding, tests research hypotheses and obtains new conclusions. All this together allows not only to significantly speed up the analysis process, but also to improve quality of the conclusions obtained. The authors argue for a balanced approach combining traditional methods with innovative technologies to achieve a deeper understanding of research topics and enhance reliability of findings. By showcasing capabilities of both established software and emerging AI tools, this study contributes to advancing methodological practices in sociology and encourages researchers to adopt a more versatile toolkit for qualitative analysis.
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