Making It Shine: Using Open Source Shiny For Discovery of Lgbtq+ Data Sources

The IASSIST LGBTQ+ Data Subgroup identified a wide array of global LGBTQ+ data sources ranging from official government surveys and established nonprofit research to vital grassroots community-driven collection efforts. These sources offer crucial insights into the health, economic, social, and legal experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals, providing the foundational evidence needed for more inclusive policies and interventions.

To dramatically improve the utility and accessibility of this guide, the subgroup applied the use of Shiny web application. Shiny is an open-source R/Python package that facilitates building interactive web applications directly from R or Python code. Utilizing Shiny transforms a static collection of data sources into a dynamic, searchable, and filterable data discovery tool. Such an enhancement allows researchers, advocates, policymakers, and community members to quickly locate the most relevant international LGBTQ+ data, based on criteria like country, topic (e.g., health, law), and data type.

By deploying this Shiny-powered platform, it can ensure this invaluable resource drives more efficient and impactful research and advocacy, supporting the pursuit of global LGBTQ+ equality.