A new data science trajectory for analysing multiple studies: a case study in physical activity research

The analysis of complex mechanisms within population data, and within sub-populations, can be empowered by combining datasets, for example to gain more understanding of change processes of health-related behaviours. Because of the complexity of this kind of research, it is valuable to provide more s...

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Main Authors: Simone Catharina Maria Wilhelmina Tummers, Arjen Hommersom, Catherine Bolman, Lilian Lechner, Roger Bemelmans
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:MethodsX
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2215016124005557
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author Simone Catharina Maria Wilhelmina Tummers
Arjen Hommersom
Catherine Bolman
Lilian Lechner
Roger Bemelmans
author_facet Simone Catharina Maria Wilhelmina Tummers
Arjen Hommersom
Catherine Bolman
Lilian Lechner
Roger Bemelmans
author_sort Simone Catharina Maria Wilhelmina Tummers
collection DOAJ
description The analysis of complex mechanisms within population data, and within sub-populations, can be empowered by combining datasets, for example to gain more understanding of change processes of health-related behaviours. Because of the complexity of this kind of research, it is valuable to provide more specific guidelines for such analyses than given in standard data science methodologies. Thereto, we propose a generic procedure for applied data science research in which the data from multiple studies are included. Furthermore, we describe its steps and associated considerations in detail to guide other researchers. Moreover, we illustrate the application of the described steps in our proposed procedure (presented in the graphical abstract) by means of a case study, i.e., a physical activity (PA) intervention study, in which we provided new insights into PA change processes by analyzing an integrated dataset using Bayesian networks. The strengths of our proposed methodology are subsequently illustrated, by comparing this data science trajectories protocol to the classic CRISP-DM procedure. Finally, some possibilities to extend the methodology are discussed. – A detailed process description for multidisciplinary data science research on multiple studies. – Examples from a case study illustrate methodological key points.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2215-0161
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publishDate 2025-06-01
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spelling doaj-art-274c0d3880fc451e92956e469c1f59b52024-12-18T08:49:00ZengElsevierMethodsX2215-01612025-06-0114103104A new data science trajectory for analysing multiple studies: a case study in physical activity researchSimone Catharina Maria Wilhelmina Tummers0Arjen Hommersom1Catherine Bolman2Lilian Lechner3Roger Bemelmans4Open University of the Netherlands, Heerlen, the Netherlands; Corresponding author.Open University of the Netherlands, Heerlen, the Netherlands; Radboud University, Nijmegen, the NetherlandsOpen University of the Netherlands, Heerlen, the NetherlandsOpen University of the Netherlands, Heerlen, the NetherlandsZuyd University of Applied Sciences, Heerlen, the NetherlandsThe analysis of complex mechanisms within population data, and within sub-populations, can be empowered by combining datasets, for example to gain more understanding of change processes of health-related behaviours. Because of the complexity of this kind of research, it is valuable to provide more specific guidelines for such analyses than given in standard data science methodologies. Thereto, we propose a generic procedure for applied data science research in which the data from multiple studies are included. Furthermore, we describe its steps and associated considerations in detail to guide other researchers. Moreover, we illustrate the application of the described steps in our proposed procedure (presented in the graphical abstract) by means of a case study, i.e., a physical activity (PA) intervention study, in which we provided new insights into PA change processes by analyzing an integrated dataset using Bayesian networks. The strengths of our proposed methodology are subsequently illustrated, by comparing this data science trajectories protocol to the classic CRISP-DM procedure. Finally, some possibilities to extend the methodology are discussed. – A detailed process description for multidisciplinary data science research on multiple studies. – Examples from a case study illustrate methodological key points.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2215016124005557DST trajectory for data science analysis of multiple studies
spellingShingle Simone Catharina Maria Wilhelmina Tummers
Arjen Hommersom
Catherine Bolman
Lilian Lechner
Roger Bemelmans
A new data science trajectory for analysing multiple studies: a case study in physical activity research
MethodsX
DST trajectory for data science analysis of multiple studies
title A new data science trajectory for analysing multiple studies: a case study in physical activity research
title_full A new data science trajectory for analysing multiple studies: a case study in physical activity research
title_fullStr A new data science trajectory for analysing multiple studies: a case study in physical activity research
title_full_unstemmed A new data science trajectory for analysing multiple studies: a case study in physical activity research
title_short A new data science trajectory for analysing multiple studies: a case study in physical activity research
title_sort new data science trajectory for analysing multiple studies a case study in physical activity research
topic DST trajectory for data science analysis of multiple studies
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2215016124005557
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