How social media data are used to research experiences of mourning: a scoping review

Abstract

Introduction: Increasingly, people are using social media (SM) to express grief, and researchers are using these data to investigate the phenomenon of mourning. As this research progresses, it is important to understand how studies are being conducted and how authors are approaching ethical challenges related to SM data. The aim of this scoping review was to explore the concept of using data from social media in research about experiences of mourning. Methods: Due to the broad nature of the review topic and the novel use of SM data, a scoping review methodology was considered appropriate. The JBI Scoping Review methodology guided this review. Eligibility criteria were determined using the PCC framework, and relevant key words and phrases derived from these criteria were used to search eight databases in September 2021 (CINAHL, Embase, LILACS, OpenGrey, ProQuest, PsycINFO, PubMed and Scopus). The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines were used to report results. Results: Database searches resulted in 3418 records, of which, 89 met eligibility criteria. Four categories of grief and mourning were identified. Most records were qualitative in nature and used natural data. Only 20% of records reported ethics approval by an Institutional Review Board, with several including measures to protect participants, for example, using pseudonyms. Conclusion: The unique review included in this thesis mapped the diverse range of mourning-related topics that have been investigated using SM data and highlighted the variability in approaches to data analysis. Ethical concerns relating to SM data collection are identified and discussed. This is an emerging and rapidly changing field of research that offers new opportunities and challenges for exploring the phenomenon of mourning.