Collaborating with External Colleagues Using Google Workspace

Permissions for all collaborators

• Always use name-based permissions.
• Avoid using “anyone with the link can access.”
  • Never use this option for any level of sensitive data. Bad actors can find this information.
  • This option could be considered for a document publicly shared for research and reporting reasons.
• Consider not allowing colleagues with edit rights to change permissions.

Sharing Option 1: Collaborator with a Google account

• If your collaborator has a Google account, you can begin sharing files.
• The Google account is needed for:
  • Ongoing access to view or edit files
  • Creating, uploading or deleting files and folders
• The account can be their institution’s Google account (preferred) or one they create themselves.
• Account permissions
  • These work the same way for every institutional and personal Google account.
  • In most situations, store data in Google Shared Drives, where permissions are determined by roles. See Shared Drives Access Levels.
  • In an unusual situation that requires storing data in a generic account (using My Drive), use the normal My Drive permissions.

Sharing Option 2: Collaborator without a Google account 

• A collaborator without a Google account could create one in either of two ways:
  • Ideally, using their home institution’s email address, if authorized.
  • Using an existing email address.  
• If using a non-Google account, the collaborator:
  • Can receive a collaboration invitation with a link to a shared file.
  • Must use the PIN included in the email invitation to verify identity.
  • Will have only seven-day visitor access.
  • Can renew the seven-day access multiple times, reusing the email and PIN each time to verify identity.
  • Can view, comment on, create or edit shared files or folders and upload content, thanks to Google’s Share Documents with Visitors feature.
  • Can share only folders and these file types:
    • Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Sites, Images, PDFs and Office files
  • Cannot delete files and folders.

Data management support

• Data management plans
  • Drafting your Data Management Plan
  • Elements of a Data Management Plan
• Institutional Review Board requirements
• Funding Agency Guidelines for Public Access
• NC State’s Data Management Framework
  • Google Workspace can store Highly Sensitive (Red) data.
• Data Management
  • This University Libraries’ page provides advice on storing, organizing, and sharing research data.

Data management recommendations

• Avoid data loss when people leave.
  • Store shared data in a Google Shared Drive instead of a shared folder in My Drive.
  • This allows uninterrupted data sharing if the My Drive folder owner leaves the project.
• Manage data access easily in one place using Google Groups.

Additional resources

• Free networked Research Storage space (2 TB).
• Globus for transferring large amounts of data.
  • Using Globus to Access Research Storage (OIT Research Services)
  • File Transfer (High Performance Computing)
• Google Workspace generic account.