Data organization involves arranging project directories to make file storage and retrieval easier, naming files to allow for logical grouping or chronological sorting within directories, and structuring file contents to support analysis. Researchers should organize their folders to reflect how the records were created and to align with current or planned workflows. Filing structures encourage transparency, consistency, and continuity. File organizational structure and naming conventions should be established by team members before you even begin collecting or working with data. This page provides best practices in organization strategies.
One of the most essential aspects of data management is organizing your data. This includes several elements, including thinking through names, structures, and relationships.
The file structure below, created by Lane Medical Library at Stanford Medicine with reference to TIER Protocol, shows one way you can consider organizing files associated with a given project:
A File Naming Convention (FNC) is a framework for naming your files in a way that describes what they contain and how they relate to other files. Developing an FNC is done through identifying the key elements of the project, the important differences and commonalities between your files. These elements could include things such as:
A file naming convention (FNC) can help you stay organized by making it easy to identify the file(s) that contain the information that you are looking for just from its title and by grouping files that contain similar information close together. A good FNC can also help others better understand and navigate through your work.
Consider the following examples:
Files without employing an naming convention:
Files with a naming convention:
The files with a naming convention provide a preview of the content, are organized in a logical way (by date yyyy-mm-dd) identify the responsible party and convey the work history, unlike the files without a naming convention.
