Developing and Integrating Shiny Apps into Social Work Research and Evaluative Efforts

This workshop aims to equip social work researchers with practical knowledge and skills to utilize the Shiny package in R and OpenAI's ChatGPT to develop web-based mobile and desktop-friendly applications for research, evaluation, and teaching. These tools are pivotal for advancing research methodologies, enabling more dynamic data interaction, and facilitating broader communication channels within communities and among peers. Shiny apps have a multitude of potential applications in social work research, including recruitment, interactive dashboards, interventions, data visualization and dissemination, educational and teaching tools, project management, and workflow tools.

The workshop facilitator has recently developed a Shiny app for research study healthcare sites to determine whether their patients are eligible for participation. Sites respond to three yes/no questions and enter between 2 and 12 lab values, which the app uses to calculate eligibility. Users are given one of several responses and their next steps based on the information they entered. She has also begun preliminary work on components of an asynchronous app-based trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy intervention. The app will include progress-tracking, journaling, homework, and interactive quizzes and assessments, which Shiny will capture in real time and store for later analysis by the researcher.

The workshop is structured around a live demonstration and is designed to be suited to those new to these technologies and seasoned data scientists seeking to integrate more sophisticated tools into their research arsenal. Key applications of these technologies in social work research will be explored, emphasizing their practical benefits and potential. First, the panelist will present an overview of how Shiny apps have been applied in research studies and show live examples of the user experience and back-end researcher view. Next, the process of building and launching a Shiny app will be demonstrated using one of the presenter's previous projects. Feedback from app users will also be included. The workshop will conclude with a question and answer session and collaborative brainstorming on ways to incorporate Shiny apps into attendees' work. Attendees will be provided with learning materials and access to online guides to further their learning.

Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the Basics and Benefits: Participants will gain a foundational understanding of how Shiny can be employed to create interactive applications. 2. Building Apps for Social Work Research: Attendees will learn how to develop apps tailored to their specific project needs. 3. Learn Interactive Data Visualization: Attendees will learn to build interactive dashboards using Shiny for dynamic data exploration, which can be particularly useful in presenting complex data in an accessible manner to non-specialist audiences. 4. Develop Educational Tools: Participants will learn to use these technologies to create educational apps that can serve as learning modules, incorporating quizzes and simulations to enhance social work education.

The session will broaden the understanding of this powerful tool and inspire innovative approaches to its application in social work research. By the end of this workshop, participants will be equipped with the skills necessary to develop their own applications tailored to the unique demands of their research and practice areas.