Scientific Objectives Research Articles

Initiating "discourse analysis" as a tool to differentiate between science and pseudoscience: Another valuable tool to advance objectivity and rigour in science

Initiating "discourse analysis" as a tool to differentiate between science and pseudoscience: Another valuable tool to advance objectivity and rigour in science

VICR: A novel software for unbiased video and image analysis in scientific research.

In scientific research, objectivity and unbiased data analysis is crucial for the validity and reproducibility of outcomes. This is particularly important for studies involving video or image categorization. A common approach of decreasing the bias is delegating data analysis to researchers unfamiliar with the experimental settings. However, this requires additional personnel and is prone to cognitive biases. Here we describe the Video & Image Cutter & Randomizer (VICR) software (https://github.com/kkihnphd/VICR), designed for unbiased analysis by segmenting and then randomizing the segmented videos or still images. VICR allows a single researcher to conduct and analyze studies in a blinded manner, eliminating the bias in analysis and streamlining the research process. We describe the features of the VICR software and demonstrate its capabilities using zebrafish behavior studies. To our knowledge, VICR is the only software for the randomization of video and image segments capable of eliminating bias in data analysis in a variety of research fields.

Monitoring of dust aerosol properties in a source region of southern Tajikistan-Ayvaj station

To advance our understanding of the interactions among dust aerosol, cloud, and radiation budget and relevant climate influences over Central Asia, the Semi-Arid Climate and Environment Observatory of Lanzhou University (SACOL) and the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan jointly established a permanent site at Shaartuz-Ayvaj in southern Tajikistan since 8 June 2023. This study mainly introduces the scientific objective, measurements, and analyses the aerosol optical properties, mass concentrations, size distributions, and radiative balances under two heavy dust events during summer of 2023. A set of state-of-the-art instruments was deployed at Ayvaj, and we could capture several heavy dust events during the summer of 2023. The maximum mass concentrations of surface PM2.5 and PM10 increased sharply to 1500 and 8000 µg/m3, respectively on 9 June for the heaviest dust event, and the aerosol optical depth at 500 nm (AOD500) increased from 0.20 to 3.2, and the corresponding Angstrom Exponent (AE440–870) decreased to about 0.01. The maximum mass concentrations are located in the coarse-mode of 2.5–32 µm, suggesting that dust aerosol is the dominant aerosol type at Ayvaj. These findings are of great importance to investigate the environmental health and climate effects of desert dust aerosols in Central Asia.

Primacy of the real and interdisciplinarity: contradictions in theoretical production

The purpose of this text is to assert the thesis that scientific work, manifested in the production of analyses, theories, and concepts, irrespective of their disciplinary, multidisciplinary, or interdisciplinary origins, only unfolds when rooted in the primacy of the real. The complexity of scientific objects cannot be fully addressed exclusively within disciplinary confines. Discussions centered solely on theoretical, conceptual, or explanatory models, while assisting in transcending disciplinary limitations, do not propel the advancement of scientific knowledge. Contradictions in theoretical-conceptual and analytical production, explicit within disciplinary fields, arise not only from the limitations of disciplines but from how reality is conceptualized as concrete thought. Regardless of the discipline, theory and concept divorced from reality amount to mere speculation.

Models of Human Behavior for Human-Robot Interaction and Automated Driving: How Accurate Do the Models of Human Behavior Need to Be?

There are many examples of cases where access to improved models of human behavior and cognition has allowed creation of robots which can better interact with humans, and not least in road vehicle automation this is a rapidly growing area of research. Human-robot interaction (HRI) therefore provides an important applied setting for human behavior modeling - but given the vast complexity of human behavior, how complete and accurate do these models need to be? Here, we outline some possible ways of thinking about this problem, starting from the suggestion that modelers need to keep the right end goal in sight: A successful human-robot interaction, in terms of safety, performance, and human satisfaction. Efforts toward model completeness and accuracy should be focused on those aspects of human behavior to which interaction success is most sensitive. We emphasise that identifying which those aspects are is a difficult scientific objective in its own right, distinct for each given HRI context. We propose and exemplify an approach to formulating a priori hypotheses on this matter, in cases where robots are to be involved in interactions which currently take place between humans, such as in automated driving. Our perspective also highlights some possible risks of overreliance on machine-learned models of human behavior in HRI, and how to mitigate against those risks.

The world as witty agent-Donna Haraway on the object of knowledge.

In her essay "Situated Knowledges," the biologist and philosopher of science Donna Haraway tackles the question of scientific objectivity from a feminist perspective and opts for a 're-vision' of science that overcomes the traditional dualisms of epistemic subject and object as well as of nature and culture (science). Beyond scientific realism and radical social constructivism, Haraway understands 'nature' or 'world' neither as a passive resource nor as a human product of imagination. Rather, she argues, the world is to be understood as a 'witty agent' that has its own efficacy and historicity in the production of knowledge. Instead of epistemic reification, possession, and appropriation of 'nature', knowledge production should be understood as a conversation between material-semiotic actors, human, and non-human, from which none of the actors leaves as they entered. In this study, I want to explore what it means to conceive of nature or world in knowledge processes as a "witty agent" and how exactly one is to imagine this form of non-human agency. To this end, I will first explain Haraway's re-vision of "nature" beyond scientific realism and radical social constructivism (sect. 2). From this, I will discuss her underlying conception of agency (sect. 3). This involves first, a reconception of the traditional relation between epistemic subject and object as dynamic and situational relation (sect. 3.1). Second, Haraway characterizes the world's epistemic agency in more positive terms by using the 'trickster' figure as it appears in Southwest Native American representations in the form of a Coyote (sect. 3.2). Finally, I will come back to Haraway's initial question of an objective scientific approach to the world, which for her consists in a power-charged social relation of conversations with the world. I will conclude with a critical reflection of what Haraway's conception of the world as an agent means for scientific practice and its engagement with objects of knowledge.

Hazard identification and occupational risk management of a tractor driver at an agricultural production

The profession of an agricultural tractor driver is one of the most common professions in agriculture. There is a high level of occupational injury rates among machinists and drivers of vehicles, which is associated with dangerous and difficult working conditions and the specifics of the work. The purpose of the study is to identify hazards and assess occupational risks in the workplace. The scientific objective of the study is to improve the safety of tractor drivers based on the methodology of assessment and management of occupational risks. Based on the results of identification of risk-forming factors in the workplace, the work presents a register of hazards, the results of an assessment of occupational risks before and after measures to reduce the impact of hazards. The obtained data of the conducted research can be used for all similar jobs in agricultural production. The comprehensive approach proposed in the work to the assessment and management of occupational risks is aimed at improving the labor protection system, increasing the protection of employees, prevention and prevention of injuries at work.

Max Weber and the Labour Constitution

Abstract: Max Weber's early works on agricultural working conditions in Germany east of the Elbe River remain little-known. Their anteriority in relation to Weberian sociology proper, the apparent primacy of value judgments within them, and a strongly dated historical context may explain this lack of interest. The author, for his part, defends the opposite point of view: not only do Weber's early studies pave the way for his later conceptualization, but they are characterized by a meticulous effort of scientific objectivity. Moreover, if we focus on the Archimedean point of all these Weberian studies, that is, the concept of the 'labour constitution', they are of indisputable—and universal—interest for the study of the dynamics of labour relations in the context of modernity. However, it seems indispensable to reinterpret the concept by considering Weber's mature work, notably his sociology of law as it emerges from Economy and Society . In the author's opinion, there is sufficient scientific continuity in Weber's work from 1890 to 1920 to justify such a reinterpretation, which may prove to be all the more fruitful in that it aims to take advantage of the later innovations of Weberian sociology, both methodologically (the ideal type, the relationship to values) and conceptually (the concept of rationalization, the sociological definition of law)

Исполнять технонауку: Art & Science с точки зрения современной метафизики

In the article the assumptions, strategies and possibilities of Art & Science (A&S) are considered through the prism of three types of metaphysical thinking. These types are defined by the answers to the question: why is there something rather than nothing. Thus, the analysis of classical metaphysics makes it possible to identify the basic assumptions of many A&S projects. These assumptions are borrowed by art from the public self-presentation of science and from Western common sense: there is an autonomous and definite nature, it is successfully known and mastered by science. So nature is nature, and nothing more. These assumptions are disputed by post-Kantian transcendental ontology. It opens up for A&S the opportunity to reflect upon the givenness of nature in the experience mediated by science, namely the constitution of science’s own objectivity, the social and political factors involved, as well as naturalization processes that turn scientific objects into nature things by way of erasing their origin. Nature is in the eye of the beholder. Empirical metaphysics (a number of projects from STS) sheds light on laboratory practices of nature enactment and the role of non-human actors in these processes. Nature is not only in the eye of the beholder, but also in the hands of the doer. It is assembled gathers, among other things, from the tissues of society, politics, culture, so does not oppose them from the outside. Among other things, this move allows us to define Art & Science as the enactment or performance of technoscience, since the laboratory-technical aesthetics inherent in this art is a reenactment of the part of the technoscientific network of practices and actors. In conclusion, by means of Pierre Bourdieu’s critical sociology, a hypothesis is formulated explaining why an alliance with STS may be problematic for A&S artists, and why posthumanism and new materialism are assimilated in this art in a cliched form. The technoscientifically formed world requires technoscientific enlightenment based on STS and philosophy, and A&S in alliance with them can be its art.

Critical key points for anesthesia in experimental research involving sheep (Ovis aries)

Anesthesia and analgesia have a major impact on ensuring animal welfare and safety, resulting in reduced stress response and effective pain control, ensuring the comfort of the animal, promoting faster recovery, and reducing the risk of complications associated with various research procedures. Each stage of anesthesia in sheep is vital for maintaining the animal's welfare, ensuring procedural success, minimizing stress, risks, and complications, and optimizing the quality of research data. Proper attention to detail and adherence to best practices at each stage contribute to the overall success of anesthesia management in sheep. Anesthesia protocols should suit individual requirements for each sheep, in light of factors such as health status, procedure duration, and desired anesthesia depth. Meticulous monitoring, adherence to best practices, and prompt intervention are essential for minimizing the risks of complications during sheep anesthesia and ensuring the safety and welfare of the animals undergoing anesthesia for research purposes. This article presents the main key points that can improve anesthetic management for sheep involved in experimental research to minimize stress response and complications, enhancing animal safety, welfare, and comfort during and after procedures. Multimodal anesthesia approaches ensure effective pain relief, tailored to the specific needs of individual animals or procedures, optimizing outcomes and minimizing risks. Anesthesia management contributes to improved research data collection under conditions that enhance the validity and reliability of results. Sheep's impressive capacity to maintain homeostasis even during extended periods of anesthesia highlights the critical importance of upholding data quality in alignment with the universally accepted principles of Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement for ethical animal research. By adhering to these principles, researchers can minimize the number of animals used, reduce any potential discomfort or distress experienced by the animals, and refine procedures to optimize animal welfare while still achieving scientific objectives.

Keck Infrared Transient Survey. I. Survey Description and Data Release 1

We present the Keck Infrared Transient Survey, a NASA Key Strategic Mission Support program to obtain near-infrared (NIR) spectra of astrophysical transients of all types, and its first data release, consisting of 105 NIR spectra of 50 transients. Such a data set is essential as we enter a new era of IR astronomy with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (Roman). NIR spectral templates will be essential to search JWST images for stellar explosions of the first stars and to plan an effective Roman SN Ia cosmology survey, both key science objectives for mission success. Between 2022 February and 2023 July, we systematically obtained 274 NIR spectra of 146 astronomical transients, representing a significant increase in the number of available NIR spectra in the literature. Here, we describe the first release of data from the 2022A semester. We systematically observed three samples: a flux-limited sample that includes all transients <17 mag in a red optical band (usually ZTF r or ATLAS o bands); a volume-limited sample including all transients within redshift z < 0.01 (D ≈ 50 Mpc); and an SN Ia sample targeting objects at phases and light-curve parameters that had scant existing NIR data in the literature. The flux-limited sample is 39% complete (60% excluding SNe Ia), while the volume-limited sample is 54% complete and is 79% complete to z = 0.005. Transient classes observed include common Type Ia and core-collapse supernovae, tidal disruption events, luminous red novae, and the newly categorized hydrogen-free/helium-poor interacting Type Icn supernovae. We describe our observing procedures and data reduction using PypeIt, which requires minimal human interaction to ensure reproducibility.

Faith No More Why People Reject Religion by Phil Zuckerman (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012), 224 pages, ISBN: 9780199740017

This study evaluates the book “Faith No More Why People Reject Religion” written by Phil Zuckerman. Zuckerman, who conducts research in the fields of atheism, agnosticism, skepticism, humanism, and naturalism, examines the intellectual and social characteristics of people who abandon their beliefs in his book “Faith No More Why People Reject Religion” and questions whether people need a God to be truly moral. In our study, the apostasy stories in the book have been examined by comparing them with the author’s theses. Relationships between apostasy rates and given social variables have been evaluated in terms of scientific objectivity.

Scientific objectives and payload configuration of the Chang'E-7 mission.

As the cornerstone mission of the fourth phase of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program, Chang'E-7 (CE-7) was officially approved, and implementation started in 2022, including a main probe and a communication relay satellite. The main probe, consisting of an orbiter, a lander, a rover and a mini-flying probe, is scheduled to be launched in 2026. The lander will land on Shackleton crater's illuminated rim near the lunar south pole, along with the rover and mini-flying probe. The relay satellite (named Queqiao-2) will be launched in February 2024 as an independent mission to support relay communication during scientific exploration undertaken by Chang'E-4, the upcoming Chang'E-6 in 2024 and subsequent lunar missions. The CE-7 mission is mainly aimed at scientific and resource exploration of the lunar south pole. We present CE-7's scientific objectives, the scientific payloads configuration and the main functions for each scientific payload with its key technical specifications.

Role of Mentorship in Science as an Element of Scientific and Technological Development

Introduction. In Russia, 2023 has been declared the Year of the Educator and Mentor, emphasizing the need for systematic measures in the field of personnel development for the research and development sector, primarily through postgraduate education. The necessity to ensure the stability of the research and development sector arises due to new objectives of the government policy on scientific and technological development, including training personnel in priority fields and enhancing science management. Over the past decade, scientific periodicals have extensively discussed ways to improve the effectiveness of postgraduate studies, given the decline in researcher numbers and dissertation defense rates, stricter requirements for dissertation councils, and their evolving operational forms. This article attempts to explore the role of mentorship in science within the context of the scientific and technological development objectives set by the country's leadership. The study highlights trends in scientific mentorship development and defines its functions based on survey data from research advisors working in Russian universities and research organizations. The study identifies contradictions that need to be addressed and proposes ways to improve the work and status of research advisors. Methods. The empirical foundation of this study is based on a sociological survey of postgraduate students and applicants' research advisors with a candidate or doctoral degree — academic, scientific, and administrative and managerial personnel of universities and research organizations (N = 3000). The survey included representatives from all broad scientific fields (natural, technical, humanities, social, medical, agricultural). The survey was conducted in 2023. Results and Discussion. The study results reveal that the main challenges research advisors face when working with applicants for academic degrees are organizational and competence-related, tied to the high level of bureaucratization in scientific personnel training, lack of flexibility, insufficient time allocation, and poor competencies of the participants in this process, especially those responsible for scientific and technological development. The study notes an increase in the complexity of the functional roles of research advisors due to an outdated workload distribution system that hinders full participation in scientific personnel training to meet current demands. Research advisors believe they require specialized training and describe the current state of scientific personnel training as being in crisis, necessitating significant changes. The study identifies several directions for modernizing higher qualification personnel training to address scientific and technological development challenges: aligning postgraduate training with practical experience (transitioning to professional and industrial postgraduate education in experimental mode for certain fields); creating individualized tracks for dissertation preparation (implementing individual programs); conducting internships at enterprises oriented at knowledge-driven economy and academic mobility improvement; appointing consultants from companies alongside research advisors, etc. The study results are discussed in terms of gender, age, job differences, and affiliation to a specific field of science. Conclusion. The study suggests that adopting a hybrid model of scientific mentorship, which combines elements of the traditional model (the research advisor being the sole mentor) and other models (developmental mentorship, multiple mentors, supportive mentorship) prevalent in international practice, could help address certain organizational and competence-related issues. To enhance the benefits of postgraduate studies for the hightech sector, special attention should be paid to natural and technical sciences, interdisciplinary research, dissertations commissioned by the industry, organizations, or companies, joint supervision models, and strengthening ties between universities, research organizations, and the economy sector itself among others.

Improvement of the Professional and Methodical Training of Future Physics Teachers

The relevance of this study is conditioned by the fact that the law on education in the Republic of Kazakhstan was updated in 2020, which allows for considering the training of a future physics teacher from a new perspective. The purpose of this study is to develop and introduce instructional foundations for improving the system of professional and methodical training of future physics teachers in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Several models of this system are considered in detail: structural and multilevel. It has been proven that the basis of the system of methodical training for a future physics teacher is the course “Methods of teaching subjects (physics)”. For this purpose, the following research methods were used: analysis and synthesis, design, logical analysis, and the positions of scientific objectivity, systematisation in the study of the professional and methodical training of future physics teachers in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The paper provides a detailed description of the analysed discipline (goals, objectives, principles of choosing the content and design of pedagogical material, and features of the organisation of the educational process). This study provides vital insights into the development and implementation of improved training systems for future physics teachers in Kazakhstan. By focusing on both theoretical and practical aspects of teacher training and aligning them with labor market demands, it sets a precedent for creating more effective and adaptable educational frameworks. These advancements not only enhance the professional competencies of future physics teachers but also promise to elevate the quality of physics education in the region, ultimately contributing to the betterment of educational standards and practices.

Detecting Biosignatures in Nearby Rocky Exoplanets Using High-contrast Imaging and Medium-resolution Spectroscopy with the Extremely Large Telescope

In the upcoming decades, one of the primary objectives in exoplanet science is to search for habitable planets and signs of extraterrestrial life in the Universe. Signs of life can be indicated by thermal-dynamical imbalance in terrestrial planet atmospheres. O2 and CH4 in the modern Earth’s atmosphere are such signs, commonly termed biosignatures. These biosignatures in exoplanetary atmospheres can potentially be detectable through high-contrast imaging instruments on future extremely large telescopes. To quantify the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) with extremely large telescopes, we select up to 10 nearby rocky planets and simulate medium-resolution (R ∼ 1000) direct imaging of these planets using the Mid-infrared ELT Imager and Spectrograph (ELT/METIS, 3–5.6 μm) and the High Angular Resolution Monolithic Optical and Near-infrared Integral field spectrograph (ELT/HARMONI, 0.5–2.45 μm). We calculate the S/N for the detection of biosignatures including CH4, O2, H2O, and CO2. Our results show that GJ 887 b has the highest detection of S/N for biosignatures, and Proxima Cen b exhibits the only detectable CO2 among the targets for ELT/METIS direct imaging. We also investigate the TRAPPIST-1 system, the archetype of nearby transiting rocky planet systems, and compare the biosignature detection of transit spectroscopy with JWST versus direct spectroscopy with ELT/HARMONI. Our findings indicate JWST is more suitable for detecting and characterizing the atmospheres of transiting planet systems such as TRAPPIST-1 that are relatively further away and have smaller angular separations than more nearby nontransiting planets.

Allies and Advocates

The paper concerns the process of research with the Wroclaw-based Romanian Roma community at its centre. This community can be depicted as radically marginalised as a result of an interplay of various factors. Additionally, the members of this community are exposed to the fallout from cultural prejudice against Roma, which is deeply entrenched in (not only) Polish society. Doing research focused on Roma communities, researchers are bound to interrogate the objectivity of science, the degree of their own commitment and above all their attitude to the group with whom they conduct/co-conduct the research process. In reflecting on my own practice as a researcher, I look to both present the dilemmas involved and some applicable solutions that can bring us closer to being allies in research.

The UNCOVER Survey: A First-look HST+JWST Catalog of Galaxy Redshifts and Stellar Population Properties Spanning 0.2 ≲ z ≲ 15

The recent UNCOVER survey with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) exploits the nearby cluster A2744 to create the deepest view of our Universe to date by leveraging strong gravitational lensing. In this work, we perform photometric fitting of more than 50,000 robustly detected sources out to z ∼ 15. We show the redshift evolution of stellar ages, star formation rates, and rest-frame colors across the full range of 0.2 ≲ z ≲ 15. The galaxy properties are inferred using the Prospector Bayesian inference framework using informative Prospector-β priors on the masses and star formation histories to produce joint redshift and stellar populations posteriors. Additionally, lensing magnification is performed on the fly to ensure consistency with the scale-dependent priors. We show that this approach produces excellent photometric redshifts with σ NMAD ∼ 0.03, of a similar quality to the established photometric redshift code EAzY. In line with the open-source scientific objective of this Treasury survey, we publicly release the stellar population catalog with this paper, derived from our photometric catalog adapting aperture sizes based on source profiles. This release (the catalog and all related documentation are accessible via the UNCOVER survey web page: https://jwst-uncover.github.io/DR2.html#SPSCatalogs with a copy deposited to Zenodo at doi:10.5281/zenodo.8401181) includes posterior moments, maximum likelihood spectra, star formation histories, and full posterior distributions, offering a rich data set to explore the processes governing galaxy formation and evolution over a parameter space now accessible by JWST.

FEATURES OF THE STATE NATIONAL POLICY AND INTERETHNIC INTERACTION IN THE REGIONS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION (BASED ON THE MATERIALS OF BASHKORTOSTAN, TATARSTAN AND CHUVASHIA). PART 2

Studying various aspects of the national policy of the Russian Federation in modern conditions attracts the attention of many researchers. This is due, firstly, to the rapid development of ethnic processes in the countries of Western Europe, and secondly, to the uniqueness of our country as a multinational and multi-confessional state.&#x0D; &#x0D; The purpose of the research is to study the peculiarities of the state national policy in modern conditions on the example of three multinational republics of the Russian Federation.&#x0D; &#x0D; Materials and methods. The theoretical and methodological basis of the article was made by the fundamental principles for organizing research: scientific objectivity, historicism, consistency, comprehensiveness and complexity, recognizing legitimacy of pluralism in the research process, focusing on studying the events and phenomena of the past in all their complexity, inconsistency, mutual conditionality, in accordance with the specifics of the historical era, in connection with modernity. Besides methodological approaches, studying the topic of the article assumes mandatory knowledge of the literature and sources that make up the basic part of the research process.&#x0D; &#x0D; Results. The article characterizes current state of interethnic relations in Russia on the example of three national republics: Bashkortostan, Tatarstan and Chuvashia, which are polyethnic and multi-confessional subjects of the Russian Federation. Choosing these regions of the Ural-Volga region is conditioned by the fact that the titular ethnic groups here are cognate Turkic peoples: the Bashkirs, the Tatars and the Chuvash. When implementing the policy in the field of interethnic interaction in the country, the state authorities rely on such fundamental documents as the “Concept of the State National Policy of the Russian Federation” (1996), the Law of the Russian Federation “On National and Cultural Autonomy” (1996), the “Strategy of the State National Policy of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2025” (2012) and others.&#x0D; &#x0D; The article discusses the activities of regional authorities on forming mutual understanding and consent between ethnic groups living within individual republics. Each subject adopted special programs to implement the Strategy of the state national policy of the Russian Federation, taking into account its socio-economic and ethno-cultural development. Some attention is also paid to the activities carried out by national cultural autonomies in the national republics under consideration.&#x0D; &#x0D; Conclusions. In order to solve the research tasks set in the article, the authors analyzed the data of sociological surveys conducted to study ethno-cultural processes in the subjects of the Russian Federation, and examined the assessment of various aspects in interethnic relations by the population pf three republics; a separate emphasis is placed on the views and assessment of young people regarding the relationship between representatives of different peoples, about the level of well-being in the confessional and interethnic spheres. The analysis of the state national policy of Russia at the present stage testifies to the great attention on the part of the governing bodies of the Russian Federation to interethnic problems in the multinational state: timely adoption of conceptual and regulatory legal acts; formation and control of authorities and public institutions responsible for issues of interethnic interaction, as well as organization of their activities; involvement of politicians and researchers in the study of state policy in order to improve it. However, despite concrete steps in the field of interethnic interaction both in the center and on the ground, often of a preventive nature, it is not always possible to overcome inconsistency of the national issue in full, especially for multi-ethnic subjects of the Russian Federation. To one degree or another, there are manifestations of conflict situations in them, they are primarily associated with such a factor of modernity as the desire of peoples to preserve and fully develop national languages and culture. Migration flows and population changes are beginning to play an important role in the regions, which is proved by the population censuses of recent years, but the main thing is the state of interethnic coexistence in the country, for example, on the materials of the Republics of Bashkortostan, Tatarstan and Chuvashia.

Holocaust Oral History Sources in the Yahad-In Unum Archive Collection (Based on Volhynia-Podolia General District Materials)

The purpose of the article is to analyze the oral history collection of the Holocaust sources at the Yahad-In Unum scientific institution (Paris, France) on the example of the Nazi-occupied territories of the Volhynia-Podolia General District of Reichskommissariat Ukraine. The research methodology is based on the principles of historicism and scientific objectivity. Analysis of oral history sources is the main method of the research. Scientific novelty: For the first time in historiography, the oral history Holocaust sources of the Yahad-In Unum scientific institution were analyzed based on the example of the Volhynia-Podolia General District. The conclusions prove that the oral history sources of Yahad-In Unum have powerful potential for Holocaust studies. They have exclusive information that is not found in other sources. German and Soviet documents cannot fully shed light on Holocaust history. Instead, the stories of witnesses provide an opportunity to examine this topic in a multifaceted way.