Scraping the Surface: A Guide to Data Collection Using Web Scraping in Sports Medicine

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Data Science
• Research Methodology

Background:

• Publicly available injury and performance data are increasingly utilized in sports medicine research.
• Web scraping, extracting data from website source code, is a common method for obtaining this information.
• Lack of methodological transparency in current studies hinders reproducibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To operationalize and describe web scraping techniques for data collection in sports medicine.
• To outline the strengths and weaknesses of web scraping in applied sports medicine.
• To provide a practical example with code and data for replicable web scraping methods.

Main Methods:

• The study describes web scraping as a process of extracting data from website source code.
• It emphasizes the importance of transparent methods and data sharing for reproducibility.
• A practical example with accompanying code and data is provided.

Main Results:

• Web scraping enables the collection of publicly available injury and performance data.
• Transparency in methods and code sharing are crucial for ensuring research replicability.
• The study provides a framework for applying reliable web scraping in sports settings.

Conclusions:

• Implementing transparent web scraping methods enhances the reliability and reproducibility of sports medicine research.
• Adopting Open Science practices, including sharing code and data, is vital for meaningful results.
• This guide facilitates the effective use of web scraping for data-driven insights in sports medicine.