What to Expect
If you study grief in daily life and have your own data, you can share it to help advance research by expanding the Grief-ID Archive.
By making your data available, you support faster discoveries, collaboration, and a deeper understanding of grief in everyday life.
Thank you for your interest in contributing to the Grief-ID Archive. Here’s how you can share your dataset in a few clear steps
Step 0 – Is your dataset a good fit?
Before getting started, please take a moment to evaluate whether your dataset fits the scope of the Grief-ID Archive:
- Did your study collect data on grief (e.g., symptoms) multiple times a day for at least seven consecutive days?
(Please note: At this stage, we do not accept diary studies, as they examine processes at different frequencies and require separate harmonization procedures.) - Is there sufficient overlap with the constructs measured in the Grief-ID Archive (e.g., sociodemographic characteristics, loss-related information, intrapersonal/interpersonal factors)?
- Was your study approved by a local ethics committee?
- Did participants give informed consent that allows their data to be shared for future grief research?
Step 1 – Upload Your Dataset
Upload your dataset to a data repository of your choice and ensure it has a DOI. If you prefer, you can upload only the metadata (i.e., description of your methods: readme, data dictionary, codebook) while keeping your dataset in its original location. This way, your dataset is properly citable, and you receive recognition for your contribution.
While optional, we strongly encourage this step, after all, data citations may one day carry the same weight as publication citations.
Step 2 – Prepare Your Dataset
Follow our guidelines to make sure your dataset includes the necessary information for integration into the Grief-ID Archive.
We ask you to complete two forms (download and change accordingly):
- Study-level data (a data dictionary), and
- Item-level data (a codebook).
These documents help us understand how your dataset aligns with existing variables in Grief-ID and where new contributions can expand the archive.
Please indicate:
- Variables identical to those in Grief-ID
- Variables that are similar or partially matching
- Variables that are entirely new and should be added
Once you've completed the preparation forms, feel free to share them with us for preliminary feedback before full integration.
Need help? You're encouraged to schedule a meeting with our team - contact Dr. Justina Pociūnaitė-Ott at j.pociunaite@utwente.nl for assistance.
Step 3 – ADD your data to Grief-ID
While most of the technical work is handled by the Grief-ID team, your input is important—especially if we encounter questions during the harmonization process.
You can read more about how we handle item harmonization and standardization [link to info page].
We look forward to collaborating with you to make the integration process as smooth and meaningful as possible.
If you're ready to contribute—or if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions—reach out to us. Join us in building a resource that supports and advances the research community!