This report presents findings from Phase 1 of the Collaborative Research Services initiative at Northeastern University, a project funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The initiative aims to explore and develop best practices for supporting distributed research teams working across multiple locations, a challenge that has grown in prominence with the expansion of Northeastern’s global campus network and the increasing reliance on virtual and hybrid collaboration models.

Phase 1 focused on obtaining baseline data regarding the communication, collaboration, and data management practices of research teams. Data was collected through interviews with institutional leaders, project managers, and research team members across various colleges and research institutes at Northeastern, including the College of Engineering, College of Science, and Impact Engine initiatives. The study sought to understand existing workflows, identify common pain points, and assess the effectiveness of various collaborative tools and platforms.

Key findings revealed a preference among distributed teams for tools like Google Drive and Slack for document sharing and real-time collaboration, although Microsoft Teams and SharePoint were also utilized by many groups. Differences in tool preferences were observed between senior and junior researchers, with younger team members favoring cloud-based, agile solutions while some senior members adhered to traditional and secure document management approaches and techniques including the use of email and local data storage. Participants highlighted challenges related to document version control, data security, and institutional support for collaboration tools. Many teams expressed a need for clearer guidance and training on available university-supported resources, as well as institutional flexibility in adopting external tools for efficient collaboration.

A recurring theme was the need for better institutional support structures, including dedicated Collaborative Research Services within the university library to assist teams in optimizing their workflows. Additionally, project managers emphasized the benefits of peer networking and regular meetings to share best practices across teams. The study also identified "learned helplessness" as a challenge, with some teams feeling disconnected from institutional knowledge and unaware of existing support services.
These findings will inform the development of library-led collaborative research services designed to support interdisciplinary, geographically distributed research teams. The next phase of the project will focus on developing and implementing targeted solutions, including training programs, toolkits, and structured support services to enhance research collaboration across Northeastern’s global network.