Data and file organisation
- Organize your data logically and store it in a hierarchical folder structure.
- Separate active and completed work and delete any unused temporary files.
- Make sure that the folder structure is not too nested, otherwise this will lead to long and complicated file paths.
Defining a naming convention for naming the folder structure and files is highly recommended. Useful are consistent file names, that are meaningful to you and your colleagues and allow you to find the file easily.
It will be helpful to include the following strings:
- Project (abbreviation)
- Author (whole name or initials)
- Description of the content
- Date (YYYYMMDD) / Version
- Research Team / Department
Make sure that the terms are as short, clear and understandable as possible for outsiders. Please keep in mind that not all characters are allowed for folder and file naming. We recommend that you do not exceed a path length of 260 characters and use only the following characters:
(ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPabcdefghijklmnop0123456789-_)
Careful selection of file formats can ensure that your files are easily accessible and interoperable and can still be used after many years. This may be particularly important in long-term research projects involving many people, or where staff could change during the research process.
A later archiving and the reuse of the data by third parties is considerably facilitated by the choice of a suitable format.
Aspects of a suitable format:
- No licenses (readable by open source/code software)
- Many software products can read the data format
- No encryption or DRM
- Established in community
- Open accessible documentation