The characteristics of the middle level philosophy as described in This We Believe closely parallel the collaborative research process. The journey of one research team is described in relationship to these characteristics. The collaborative process includes strengths such as professional relationships, professional development, courageous leadership, and a shared vision. Barriers to the process were also evident, including physical factors such as time and weather, differences in back-grounds and perspectives, and lack of support from respective universities. Despite these barriers, the researchers were able to use the characteristics of the middle level philosophy to guide their research.