1. Data Visualization Dashboard

This document is an excerpt of the Deliverable D 1.1. of the research project You-Dare.
Here are outlined the procedures and arrangements underlying the implementation of the data visualization dashboard that is accessible in these pages on darenet.

The dashboard complements the outcomes ofthe initial scoping activity of You-Dare by offering an interactive, comprehensive visual representation of the landscape of far-right youth movements across Europe.

The visualizations were developed with two primary objectives.
  1. First, they function as a research-support tool, enabling visual exploration of data collected during the early stages of You-Dare. The visualization environment is designed to validate findings from scoping activities, identify emerging research needs, and inform policy interventions and decision-making frameworks in subsequent activities.
  2. Second, the visualization serves as both a dissemination tool and a stakeholder engagement mechanism. It is expected to facilitate communication of research findings to a broader audience while fostering engagement through data discussion and crowdsourcing activities. This approach is expected to boost stakeholder involvement and to enrich the visualized dataset, aligning with You-Dare strategy for embedding stakeholder engagement in action-research activities.

    3. 1. Development of Data Dashboard in You Dare

    The development of the project visualisations was carried out in close integration with the broader WP1 workflow over a period of approximately ten months.

    The dashboard development followed an iterative process, closely aligned with the project’s methodological framework, which informed the research questions, hypotheses, and the selection and classification of variables. It started with a benchmarking and requirements phase, combining partner inputs collected through an online form with a review of existing visualisation solutions in comparable domains. Several technical options were assessed, and a lightweight, modular approach was selected, based on producing interactive charts and embedding them into web pages within the project knowledge-sharing platform, with differentiated access rights for different user profiles.

    Data preparation began with an initial round of raw collection, largely stored in text-based tables, which enabled broad mapping but revealed inconsistencies in taxonomies and limitations in quantitative availability. The dataset was then cleaned and standardised, converted into machine-readable formats, and supported by a refined metadata structure. This led to an updated data collection template, including a dedicated section on discourses and narratives and improved categorisations for actor types. Further collection rounds were conducted using the revised spreadsheet template, followed by consolidation into dashboard-ready tables, complemented by an additional policy-focused dataset. A draft dashboard was then released for testing and reviewed through a structured feedback routine. Finally, feedback was consolidated, remaining inconsistencies were resolved, and the final chart selection and access rules were agreed, resulting in a stable dashboard structure that balanced research needs with stakeholder-facing dissemination.

    2. Overview of content

    Following the selection and revision process described in the previous section, the final version of the dashboard consisted of 19 interactive charts, organized into three thematic sections:

    The visualisations shared with stakeholders therefore focus on the mapping of far-right actors, and are structured to support both comparative and country-specific exploration. Two sections were dedicated to EU-level comparison (respectively focusing on influencers and organised groups), while a dedicated section presented country-level views, aggregating information at NUTS-0 scale.

    Across all charts, the displayed data predominantly supports three analytical dimensions.

    • First, it provides a timeline perspective on the mapped entities, capturing the year of emergence and - where relevant - the end of their activity.
    • Second, it presents information related to the use of digital platforms by FR Actors, including the main social media channels used and estimates of audience size/followers (particularly for influencer profiles).
    • Finally, the dashboard highlights the frequency of use of discursive clusters, through categories used across the project to interpret gender-related narratives in the selected countries.

    3. Technical note

    From a technical perspective, the dashboard was implemented as a set of HTML pages embedding interactive charts generated through Flourish (flourish.studio/), a web-based platform for creating data-driven visualisations that can be easily embedded and shared online.

    To support comparability across countries and actor types, the underlying datasets were systematically preprocessed to ensure consistent formatting and, where necessary, to enable weighting and standardisation procedures. This was particularly relevant for EU comparison charts, where harmonised categories and consistent aggregation rules were required to enable cross-cutting analysis.

    A semi-automated internal routine was established for preprocessing the datasets feeding the visualisations. This workflow combined data collection in spreadsheets with a set of transformation steps performed through dedicated scripts, manually executed by a designated supervisor. The process was documented to ensure that it can be replicated in future phases of the project and, if needed, adopted by additional team members.

    Interactive functions available within the dashboard relied on Flourish’s standard features and therefore varied across chart types. In general, interaction mechanisms enabled users to isolate one or more countries, filter views, and explore cross-country comparisons in greater detail.

    4. Updates, maintenance and access strategy

    The dashboard was designed not only as a research-support tool, but also as one of the first project outputs suitable for broader dissemination, starting from the community of project stakeholders engaged in You Dare through both in-person and online activities. Online engagement activities will be hosted directly on DareNet, the same environment where the dashboard is published, ensuring continuity between knowledge sharing and stakeholder interaction.

    In addition to using the visualisations as a basis for discussion and reflection, stakeholders will be invited to contribute to the enrichment of the dataset by leveraging their contextual knowledge of far-right actor landscapes and their positioning on gender-related discourses in their respective territories.

    All collected data will be formatted and documented to support future distribution and reuse in line with consortium data management policies. Data underlying the dashboard - properly anonymised and aggregated - will be released after each update.
    The current version of the dataset is available here