Shannon Mora, a PhD researcher in the Trinity Centre for Digital Humanities and the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultural Studies, Trinity College Dublin, is carrying out the research as part of her doctorate studies.
Shannon’s research on RIP.ie has been the focus of a number of articles and interviews including RTÉ Brainstorm, RTÉ Drivetime, Prime Time and Ireland AM. In 2024, she earned a Master of Philosophy in Digital Humanities and Culture from Trinity College Dublin, where she conducted research on RIP.ie during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland.
Through her investigation, she aims to find out how mourning rituals in Ireland have changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Participants will be asked if new technology tools have changed their experiences of mourning and explore whether mourning has been a social or cultural factor that influenced health for individuals and communities during and after the pandemic.
“I am interested in understanding the experiences of mourning before and during COVID-19 from 2020-2022, including the use of technology such as online condolence books, live-streamed funerals, or other similar tools used in mourning”, Shannon said in relation to the call out for participants.
“You do not need to be skilled or knowledgeable in technology. I want perspectives from all individuals in Ireland. I am recruiting members of the general public who are people over 50 years old that have experienced both traditional mourning practices and any changes that happened during COVID-19.”
The study will last for 36 months, from data collection to conclusion and participation will include 1-3 interviews across a span of 4-6 weeks.
More information about the study:
Participants must be:
- Aged 50 years old or older
- Live on the island of Ireland
- Have experienced a bereavement before the COVID-19 pandemic (before 2020)
- Have experienced a bereavement during COVID-19 pandemic restrictions (2020-2022)
What Does the Study Involve?
The study involves a combination of interviews and observation.
Interviews
You will be invited to do three interviews about your experiences of mourning. You will be asked how you felt about changes in mourning, including any new technology tools you used (or did not use), and how these changes may have affected your health and well-being. Interviews will be recorded using an audio recorder. Each participant will be asked to complete a series of three separate interviews, including a pre-interview and post-interview session.
Observation
During the third interview session, you will be observed as you use technology, such as online condolences or tributes.
Get in touch now:
If you would like more information about the study, please visit the website (https://bit.ly/RIPStudy).