RedScrap: An Innovative Open-Source Python Tool to Support Netnographic Research Using Reddit Data

This abstract was presented at the 6th International Pharmaceutical Research Conference (iPRC), held on 20–21 September 2025 at the University of Cyberjaya, Malaysia. The work introduces RedScrap, an open-source Python-based research tool designed to enhance the methodological rigour and efficiency of netnographic studies, particularly those examining sensitive or socially complex phenomena. RedScrap addresses key methodological challenges associated with large-scale qualitative data extraction from Reddit, including accessibility limitations to third-party datasets, ethical considerations in handling sensitive discussions, and the time-intensive process of organizing unstructured online discourse. Developed using Python 3.11, the tool integrates multiple research-oriented modules such as PRAW for Reddit API access, pandas for data handling, Tkinter for an interactive graphical interface, and ReportLab for automated PDF reporting. The tool supports searches by subreddit, multi-keyword queries, and custom date-range filtering. It enables complete scraping of threads or selective retrieval, with outputs formatted in Excel or CSV. RedScrap also features an “Early Report” system that automatically generates metadata summaries, yearly thread distributions, bar-chart visualizations, and a compiled list of retrieved thread titles to streamline dataset validation. Using the keywords “marijuana, cannabis, ganja” in r/malaysia (2013–2024), RedScrap v1.1.4 retrieved 149 threads, 4,595 comments, and 9,617 upvotes, demonstrating its suitability for longitudinal analysis. The sharp increase in online discourse beginning in 2021 and peaking in 2022 corresponds with Thailand’s cannabis policy changes, highlighting the tool’s utility for capturing temporal shifts in public narratives. This work contributes to digital qualitative methodology by providing a scalable, reproducible, and privacy-conscious approach to studying online communities. It is particularly valuable for researchers examining emerging public health debates, social acceptance of drug policies, and broader socio-cultural trends across digital platform This innovation has also been formally recognised for its research merit. RedScrap received the Gold Medal at IIDEX 2025 (Innovation, Invention & Design Exposition), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), an award that highlights its novelty, methodological contribution, and tangible impact in advancing digital research tool development.