Webscraping as Educational Research Methodology: Innovations, Ethics, and Applications

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Abstract

This paper presents a methodological reflection on the use of web scraping in educational research, illustrating its value for collecting large-scale, real-time data from publicly accessible sources. Drawing on a study of over 120,000 U.S. school websites, it demonstrates how web scraping can surface educational discourse and institutional practices often absent from traditional datasets. The paper outlines technical design, keyword strategies, and ethical considerations, offering practical benchmarks for future researchers adopting digital methods. It highlights how scraped data can be integrated with demographic and contextual indicators to uncover national patterns in educational discourse, visibility, and access. Positioned as a foundational study, this work establishes a replicable framework that advances methodological innovation and expands the scope of educational research.

Author

• Luke Parker, Australian Catholic University