SPECIFICITY OF APPLICATION OF THE DECISION TREE METHOD IN DATA ANALYSIS: THE EXAMPLE OF COMPARATIVE RESEARCH (Spetsyfika zastosuvannia metodu derev rishen v analizi masyvu danykh na prykladi porivnialnoho doslidzhennia)

The article tries to prove heuristic potential of the Decision Tree Method in analyzing data of the comparative sociologic research The Ukrainians and Russians: Looking at Each Other', which was done on the initiative of the Institute of Russian Studies, in Russia by the company 'GfK RUS' (June 27 until July 11, 2008), and in Ukraine - by the company 'GfK Ukraine' (June 19 until July 7, 2008). The main task of the Decision Tree is to display and visualize a covered categorical data structure, as if it were peculiar to them, to analytical separation of empirical data by statistical methods. By the use of the Decision Tree Method the authors have succeeded to build portraits of the respondents and to discover the most dependent variables from the data array. Thus the authors conclude that, on Ukrainians' side, the regional and socio-cultural factors are the most important determinants regarding evaluation of relations with Russia, whereas for the side of Russians, the socio-demographical characteristics of respondents are more significant.