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Category: Collaboration Level: Intermediate Reading time: 10 minutes Updated: 2025-10-31

Collaborating on Studies

Quick Summary: Share studies with other researchers, manage permissions, and work together on research projects.

What You'll Learn

  • Adding collaborators to your studies
  • Understanding permission levels
  • Viewing shared studies
  • Removing collaborators
  • Best practices for team research

Overview

PEBL Hub's collaboration system allows multiple researchers to work together on studies. You can share studies with colleagues, grant different permission levels, and manage team access—all while maintaining control over your research.

Use cases:

  • Multi-investigator research projects
  • Lab director overseeing student projects
  • Cross-institutional collaborations
  • Mentor-mentee relationships
  • Research assistants helping with data collection

Permission Levels

View Only

Can do:

  • View study configuration
  • See test parameters
  • Browse participant data
  • Download data
  • View analytics

Cannot do:

  • Modify study settings
  • Change test parameters
  • Add/remove tests or chains
  • Delete participant data
  • Add other collaborators

Best for: Data analysts, co-authors who need data access but shouldn't modify study configuration

Edit

Can do:

  • Everything "View Only" can do, plus:
  • Modify test parameters
  • Change study settings
  • Add/remove tests
  • Configure chains
  • Generate URLs and short URLs
  • Activate/deactivate study

Cannot do:

  • Delete the study
  • Add/remove collaborators
  • Transfer ownership

Best for: Co-investigators, research assistants managing day-to-day operations

Admin

Can do:

  • Everything "Edit" can do, plus:
  • Add new collaborators
  • Remove collaborators
  • Change collaborator permissions
  • Delete the study

Cannot do:

  • Transfer ownership (only owner can do this)

Best for: Principal investigators, lab directors, trusted co-PIs

Adding Collaborators

Step 1: Navigate to Study Settings

  1. Go to My Research Studies
  2. Find your study
  3. Click Manage Study
  4. Look for Collaborators section (may be in Settings or a separate tab)

Step 2: Add Collaborator

  1. Click Add Collaborator button
  2. Enter collaborator's username or email
  3. Select permission level:
  • View Only
    • Edit
    • Admin
4. (Optional) Add a note explaining why you're adding them
  1. Click Add or Send Invitation

Step 3: Notify Collaborator

The system may send an automatic notification, but it's good practice to:

  • Email them directly
  • Let them know they've been added
  • Explain their role and permissions
  • Provide any necessary context about the study

Example Workflow

Scenario: You're a lab director adding a graduate student to help with data collection.

  1. Add student with Edit permissions
  2. Student can now:
  • Generate participant URLs
    • Monitor data collection
    • Download data
    • Adjust parameters if needed
3. Student cannot:
  • Delete the study
    • Add other people
    • Make major structural changes without your oversight

Viewing Shared Studies

Finding Studies Shared With You

  1. Go to My Research Studies
  2. Look for studies marked as "Shared" or with a collaboration icon
  3. Your permission level will be displayed

Understanding Your Access

Check your permission level:

  • View badge = Read-only access
  • Edit badge = Can modify configuration
  • Admin badge = Full control except ownership transfer

Collaborating Effectively

Good practices:

  • Communicate changes: Let team know if you modify parameters
  • Document decisions: Use study notes or external documentation
  • Coordinate timing: Avoid simultaneous edits
  • Respect permissions: Don't request higher access than needed

Managing Collaborators

Viewing Current Collaborators

As study owner or admin:

  1. Go to study settings
  2. View Collaborators list showing:
  • Username/email
    • Permission level
    • Date added
    • Added by whom

Changing Permissions

  1. Find collaborator in list
  2. Click Edit or Change Permissions
  3. Select new permission level
  4. Click Save
Example: Promote student from "Edit" to "Admin" when they become more experienced

Removing Collaborators

  1. Find collaborator in list
  2. Click Remove or Revoke Access
  3. Confirm removal
Important: Removed collaborators lose access immediately but don't lose any work they've already done.

When to Remove

  • Project completed
  • Person left lab/institution
  • Security concern
  • No longer needs access
  • Permission granted by mistake

Common Collaboration Scenarios

Scenario 1: Multi-Site Study

Setup:

  • PI at Site A (owner)
  • PI at Site B (Admin)
  • Research assistants at each site (Edit)

Workflow:

  1. Site A PI creates study, configures tests
  2. Site A PI adds Site B PI as Admin
  3. Each PI adds their research assistants with Edit access
  4. RAs at both sites can generate URLs for local participants
  5. Both PIs can download combined data

Scenario 2: Student Project with Advisor Oversight

Setup:

  • Advisor (Admin)
  • Student (owner or Edit, depending on who created study)

Workflow:

  1. Student creates study or advisor creates and adds student
  2. Student configures and runs study
  3. Advisor monitors progress and provides guidance
  4. Advisor can make changes if needed

Scenario 3: Data Analyst Collaboration

Setup:

  • Primary investigator (owner)
  • Data analyst (View Only)

Workflow:

  1. PI creates and runs study
  2. PI adds analyst with View Only access
  3. Analyst can download data and run analyses
  4. Analyst cannot accidentally modify study configuration

Scenario 4: Lab Director Managing Multiple Projects

Setup:

  • Lab director (Admin on all lab studies)
  • Multiple students (owners of their individual studies)

Workflow:

  1. Students create their own studies
  2. Students add lab director as Admin
  3. Director can oversee all projects
  4. Director can help troubleshoot or make changes as needed
  5. Students maintain primary responsibility

Best Practices

1. Use Minimum Necessary Permissions

Principle: Grant the lowest permission level that allows someone to do their job.

Why:

  • Reduces risk of accidental changes
  • Maintains data integrity
  • Clearer responsibility structure

Examples:

  • Data analyst? → View Only
  • Research assistant collecting data? → Edit
  • Co-PI making major decisions? → Admin

2. Document Who Has Access

Keep a record (spreadsheet, lab notebook) of:

  • Who has access to each study
  • Permission level
  • Why they have access
  • When added
  • When removed (if applicable)

3. Review Access Regularly

Quarterly review:

  • Who still needs access?
  • Are permission levels still appropriate?
  • Anyone who should be removed?

4. Communicate Changes

When making changes:

  • Notify collaborators before major modifications
  • Explain why changes being made
  • Coordinate timing (don't change parameters mid-data collection!)
  • Document changes in shared notes

5. Clarify Roles and Responsibilities

Before starting:

  • Who handles participant recruitment?
  • Who monitors data quality?
  • Who downloads and analyzes data?
  • Who responds to participant questions?
  • Who makes parameter decisions?

6. Use Study Notes

Most studies have a notes or description field:

  • Document decisions made
  • Note parameter changes and why
  • Track issues encountered
  • List collaborator responsibilities

7. Backup Critical Work

Even with collaborators:

  • Download data regularly
  • Keep local copies of configurations
  • Document study setup externally
  • Don't rely solely on platform

Troubleshooting Collaboration Issues

Problem: Collaborator Can't See Study

Solutions:

  1. Verify you added correct username/email
  2. Check collaborator is logged into correct account
  3. Collaborator should check "Shared with Me" section
  4. Try removing and re-adding

Problem: Collaborator Has Wrong Permissions

Solutions:

  1. Check their permission level
  2. Update to correct level
  3. Verify change saved
  4. Have them log out and back in

Problem: Can't Add Collaborator

Solutions:

  1. Verify you have Admin permissions
  2. Check username/email is correct
  3. Ensure user has an account on platform
  4. Try different browser

Problem: Two People Editing Simultaneously

Prevention:

  • Coordinate edit times
  • Use study notes to indicate "editing now"
  • Communicate via email/chat before major changes

If it happens:

  • Last save usually wins
  • Review changes carefully
  • May need to re-enter some edits

Problem: Collaborator Made Unwanted Change

Solutions:

  1. If study has snapshot/version system, restore previous version
  2. Manually revert changes
  3. Discuss with collaborator to avoid future issues
  4. Consider reducing their permission level
  5. Review who needs Edit vs. View Only access

Privacy and Security

Data Access

Remember: Collaborators with View or higher can access participant data.

Implications:

  • Add collaborators to IRB protocol if required
  • Ensure collaborators sign data use agreements
  • Only add people with legitimate research need
  • Remove access when no longer needed

Institutional Policies

Check your institution's requirements:

  • Who can access human subjects data?
  • What agreements must be signed?
  • Are there restrictions on multi-site access?
  • What about international collaborators?

HIPAA and PHI

If working with protected health information:

  • Ensure collaborators are HIPAA trained
  • Have appropriate data use agreements
  • Follow institutional protocols
  • Consider using View Only for non-essential personnel

Removing Yourself as Collaborator

If you're a collaborator and want to remove yourself:

  1. Contact study owner
  2. Request removal
  3. Owner or admin must remove you
Why you can't self-remove: Prevents accidental loss of access to important work.

Transferring Study Ownership

Note: Current system may not support ownership transfer. Check with administrator.

If needed:

  1. Option A: Current owner adds new owner as Admin, removes themselves
  2. Option B: Export study configuration, new owner recreates
  3. Option C: Contact administrator for manual transfer
Before transferring:
  • Download all data
  • Document all configurations
  • Export parameter settings
  • Save study notes

Related Topics

Need more help? Contact your platform administrator or the study owner if you're experiencing collaboration issues.

Related Topics