Matthew Phillips, John Wihbey, Author at The Journalist's Resource

Using Python to scrape a website and gather data: Practicing on a criminal justice dataset

by Matthew Phillips and John Wihbey | July 9, 2015

Tutorial on how to use the programming language Python to scrape website data from a local county prison roster. The exercise highlights website source code and data structures.

Editors’ Picks

Education, Health

How school nurses can help fight chronic absenteeism

November 20, 2024

In this research-based explainer, we examine the rise in chronic student absenteeism in recent years and the various ways school nurses, an underutilized resource in the push to improve attendance, can help.

Politics & Government

Ranked choice voting: An explainer and 3 tips for reporters

October 30, 2024

Dozens of municipalities and two states have adopted ranked choice voting in recent years, and the system is on the ballot in six states and Washington, D.C. this November. Here’s the recent research you need to know to enhance your coverage.

Criminal Justice, Health, Politics & Government, Race & Gender

Abortion pill mifepristone: An explainer and research roundup about its history, safety and future

June 13, 2024

With abortion-related measures on the ballot in several states, journalistic coverage of the topic has never been more crucial. This piece aims to help inform the narrative on medication abortion with scientific evidence.