Case Study: Academic & Faculty Data Scraping from New York University
The Challenge
Our client, an educational analytics and research firm, wanted to extract academic, faculty, and program data from New York University (NYU). The objective was to build a centralized academic directory for research analysis, university comparison, and collaboration mapping. Manual data collection from multiple departmental websites was inefficient and inconsistent.
Hurdles We Faced
- Multiple Subdomains: Each NYU department had unique web structures and data formats.
- Dynamic & Nested Pages: Faculty profiles and course details loaded dynamically using JavaScript.
- High Data Diversity: Data included programs, faculty details, research areas, publications, and contact information.
- Frequent Updates: Faculty and course data were updated regularly across different departments.
Our Step-by-Step Approach
Requirement Analysis:
Defined required fields – department name, faculty name, designation, contact info, courses, and research interests.
Custom Scraper Development:
Developed a multi-layered Python-based scraper to navigate departmental directories, extract profile details, and collect program information.
Dynamic Content Handling:
Used Selenium-based automation for JavaScript-rendered pages to ensure complete data capture.
Data Structuring & Normalization:
Cleaned and organized extracted data into a standard academic schema linking departments, faculty, and programs.
Automation & Scheduling:
Implemented automated scripts to periodically refresh the data, ensuring updated academic listings.
Results & Impact
- Successfully extracted and centralized faculty and academic program data across NYU departments.
- Enabled analytical insights into faculty research areas, departmental strengths, and collaborations.
- Reduced manual data collection time from weeks to hours.
Our Services & Expertise
At Ascendance Solutions, we specialize in:
- Educational & Academic Data Scraping
- Dynamic Web Automation
- Data Structuring for Research & Analytics
- Automation for Continuous Data Updates
📧 Connect with us at connect@ascendancesolutions.com to automate academic and faculty data extraction from university platforms like NYU and enhance your research analytics capabilities.
