It is good practice in research data management to develop a systematic way to name and organise your key data files and folders. Below are some tips:
1. Consistent Naming Conventions: Adopt a consistent naming convention for your files and folders. This could include elements like the project name, the date, the version number, and the researcher’s initials. For example, ProjectName_YYYYMMDD_Version_ResearcherInitials.
2. Use of Descriptive Names: File and folder names should be descriptive enough to understand their contents briefly. Avoid using vague or generic names.
3. Avoid Special Characters: Avoid using special characters in file names as they can cause issues with software compatibility. Stick to alphanumeric characters and underscores.
4. Version Control: Implement a version control system to track changes and updates to files. This can help prevent data loss and confusion over which version of a file is the most recent.
5. Folder Structure: Organize your files into a logical folder structure. This could be based on the phases of your project, the types of data, or any other system that makes sense for your research.
6. Documentation: Maintain a ‘readme’ file or a data dictionary that provides details about the files, their naming conventions, the folder structure, and any other relevant information.
7. Regular Backups: Ensure that your data is regularly backed up to prevent data loss. This could be on an external hard drive, a secure cloud service, or another secure location.
8. Data Cleaning: Regularly review and clean your data to ensure it remains accurate and up to date. This includes removing duplicate files, correcting errors, and updating file names or folder structures as needed.
Whichever naming conventions you use, it should enable easy identification while skimming through many files and versions. You should also be aware that filenames, especially those with spaces, can be problematic when moving data between different systems e.g. Windows to Linux.
