The department of Digital folklore and netnographic analysis has been established in the structure of the Institute of Folklore of ANAS in accordance with the challenges of the modern world. The decision was made at a special meeting of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan in Khankendi - Garabagh University.

The establishment of the new department is based on the need to expand digital transformation in the humanities and social sciences, as well as the introduction of artificial intelligence technologies in the light of the reforms carried out in ANAS, in accordance with the priorities set out in the “Concept of digital development in the Republic of Azerbaijan” and “Artificial Intelligence Strategy for 2025-2028”.

In this department, which is intended to operate on the basis of the principles of digital government and digital society, a systematic study of folklore processes occurring not only in the context of traditional communication, but also in the virtual environment and examples of folk art arising as a result of these processes will be carried out.

The department will be engaged in the collection, analysis and archiving of memes, idioms, internet tales and other digital folklore samples distributed in the virtual folklore environment of Azerbaijan – social networks, online platforms.

The activities of the department of Digital folklore and netnographic analysis will be organized mainly by:

• Investigation of the specifics of the virtual folklore environment of Azerbaijan within the framework of theoretical and methodological problems of Internet folklore;
• Investigation of the nature of folklore in socio-technological and techno-culturological environment, study of artificial intelligence and folklore relations;
• The use of digital folklore samples (memes, online fairy tales, idioms, etc.)) collection, classification and archiving;
• Study of folklorization processes on virtual social platforms of Azerbaijani language by netnographic methods;
• Creation and structuring of national digital folklore database;
• Artificial intelligence technologies (text analysis, automatic clustering, etc.) with the expectation of scientific and ethical principles. Analysis of folklore materials by application;
• Study of digital folklore as a means of national identity, collective memory and public self-expression;