File Organization and Naming Conventions

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1. Folder structure and hierarchy

Establishing a logical, scalable folder structure helps maintain clarity as your project grows.

Best practices:

• Use folders to group files by topic, work package, or activity

• Name folders after research themes or data types, not individuals (e.g., Survey_Data, not Alice_Folder)

• Start broad and go specific: Use a hierarchical structure (e.g., Project_Name > Data > Interviews > Transcripts)

• Separate active and archived files: Regularly move completed files to a distinct location to avoid clutter

• Align with existing team conventions: Check for established practices in your lab, faculty, or discipline

• Back up regularly: Whether files are stored locally or on a shared server, ensure automated and versioned backups are in place

• Review periodically: Clean up or archive unused materials at the end of project phases. Set calendar reminders for regular reviews

2. File naming conventions

Consistent file names:

• Improve discoverability

• Help identify content, status, and authorship

• Prevent version conflicts

• Support automated processing

Include meaningful elements, such as:

• Project acronym (e.g., RDA2025)

• File content or activity (e.g., InterviewSummary)

• Date (in ISO format: YYYY-MM-DD)

• Version number (e.g., v01, v02_01)

• Contributor initials (if relevant)

Example:
RDA2025_InterviewSummary_v02_2025-07-01_SB.docx

General rules:

• Keep names short but meaningful

• Avoid spaces and special characters (use underscores or hyphens)

• Stick to lowercase or agreed capitalization rules

• Use leading zeros for numbers (e.g., 01, 02) to ensure correct sorting

• Agree on vocabulary and punctuation conventions across the team

Reference: UK Data Archive and University of Cambridge File Naming Guidance

3. Version control

Research documents often go through multiple drafts and involve several collaborators. Without version control, teams can easily lose track of changes.

Recommended versioning scheme:

• Major changes: v01, v02, v03 …

• Minor changes: v01_01, v01_02 …

Adding contributor and date information:
Include initials and the modification date to track individual edits.
Example: Protocol_v03_2025-06-15_ML.docx

Use a version control table for important documents, noting:

• Version number

• Date

• Author

• Summary of changes

Mark final versions clearly:
Use a suffix like _FINAL or v03_FINAL. Avoid multiple files marked as “final” (e.g., final2, newfinal…).

4. Managing personal and sensitive Data

When handling personal or sensitive information (e.g., names, addresses, email contacts), ensure data separation and pseudonymization.

Store separately:

1. Identifiable personal data (e.g., names, emails, addresses)

2. Research data (e.g., survey responses, interview transcripts)

Maintain a link using a unique ID (e.g., Participant_ID = 0937X) stored in a secure, access-restricted file. This ensures:

• Compliance with data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR)

• Clear distinction between identifiable and anonymized data

• Flexibility for future consent verification or data re-use (if legally allowed)

Tip: Keep the ID cross-reference file encrypted or access-controlled, and limit editing permissions.

Summary Checklist

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