Data Methods
How the Data is Collected
This dashboard aggregates news stories related to abuse in higher education by fetching a curated network of RSS feeds daily after 5pm. These feeds continuously scan media sources for specific keywords linked to academic misconduct.
How the Data is Processed:
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Alll data comes from publicly available news stories.
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RSS feeds search keywords such as: college bullying, title ix, college harassment, college sexual harassment, etc.
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Google Apps Script feeds the RSS data into a spreadsheet
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Formulas in the spreadsheet search for keywords in the title to categorize each story.
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How the Data is Cleaned
Once Collected:
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The data is cleaned to remove duplicates, irrelevant content, and formatting inconsistencies.
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Each story is scanned for keyword matches, which are used to automatically tag the type of abuse reported, and any legal references.
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Institution name and location—are tagged manually to ensure accuracy and consistency.
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When a news story involves multiple institutions, the term “Various” is used to reflect the broader scope of the report.
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Ways to Use the Data
Students & Survivors
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Research school before applying or transferring
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Check if your institution has a pattern of abuse or retaliation
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Gather news examples to support a complaint, Title IX report, or media outreach
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Use tagged categories (e.g., “Sexual Misconduct”, “Retaliation”) to locate your experience
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Identify institutions that have mishandled similar cases
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Build a case or narrative with real-world parallels from other schools
Faculty & Staff
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Risk assessment: Identify patterns of abuse across peer institutions to understand where your campus may be vulnerable or complicit.
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Policy development: Use real-world cases to advocate for internal reforms, prevention training, or policy overhauls.
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Solidarity building: Connect with stories similar to your own and find networks of resistance, whistleblowers, or reform-minded educators.
Journalists & Advocates
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Investigative leads: Spot patterns or trends that merit deeper reporting—e.g., repeat offenders, geographic clusters, or underreported types of abuse.
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Source verification: Use lawsuit and settlement data to cross-check emerging claims or validate tips.
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Narrative framing: Ground your reporting in a broader systemic context by showing how a single incident connects to widespread trends.
