Digital Transformation of Science and Methodology of Interdisciplinary Research in the Era of Big Data

This article examines the impact of digital transformation on scientific activity and substantiates the need to transition toward interdisciplinary methodologies in the era of big data. The rapid development of technologies–artificial intelligence, big data analytics, blockchain systems, and cloud computing–has led to radical changes not only in the technical support of science but also in its conceptual foundations. Special attention is given to the phenomenon of the “data turn”, which shifts the focus of scientific inquiry from hypothetico-deductive models to empirically rich computational strategies. As disciplinary boundaries blur and the volume of data processing grows, interdisciplinarity becomes not an optional trend but a necessary methodological strategy. The article analyzes various forms of interdisciplinarity: multidisciplinarity, interdisciplinarity in the strict sense, and transdisciplinarity. Key stages in the historical development of interdisciplinary research are identified, and the challenges and prospects arising from the digitalization of science are explored. The role of digital technologies in fostering interdisciplinary collaboration is discussed, including new opportunities for big data analysis and collective scientific work via cloud platforms and blockchain solutions. The study proposes methodological principles for the advancement of interdisciplinary research in the digital age: flexibility of research strategies, integration of data and models, development of open science, and institutional support for collaborations. Special attention is paid to the prospects and limitations of the interdisciplinary approach, including methodological barriers, differences in scientific languages, and institutional obstacles. The conclusions emphasize that successful scientific development in the context of digitalization is impossible without deep integration of knowledge, a revision of traditional research practices, and the formation of a new scientific infrastructure oriented toward openness, flexibility, and collaboration. Interdisciplinarity is viewed as an essential condition for effectively addressing the global challenges of contemporary society.