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Introduction to File Management

Joe Ameen

sameen@ucmerced.edu

UC Merced Library

Why is file management important?

Why is file management important?

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• It saves time not having to look, redo, or restore from backups.
• We will want these files later.
• You will be managing data in one form or another for a long time.
• It helps with:
• Information sharing
• Recovering from disaster
• Publishing
• Preservation

A Bad Example

Workshop Overview

• Folder Structure
• File Naming
• Versioning
• Tagging
• Wrap Up

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Benefits of Good File Management Practices

• Makes locating and identifying specific files easier
• Decreases risk of losing content
• Decreases likelihood of duplicate and out of sync versions
• Makes data collection and organization run smoothly
• Supports research collaborations and group projects

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Who is file management for?

You

Future You

Your PI/professor

Future research group members

Current team

Funding agency

What works best for you?

• The best strategy won’t work if you won’t maintain it
• Are there constraints? (Budget, cloud connectivity, collaboration)
• Do you have a preference?

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Folder Structure

Hierarchical Folder Structures

Use a hierarchical structure to organize folders & subfolders

• Create a series of top level folders and subfolders

Broad ------------------------->narrow

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• Group similar items together

Organize by subject, purpose, date, file type, etc.

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Hierarchical Folder Structures Best Practices

• Be consistent
• Don’t let your folders get too big
• Don’t let your structure get too deep (recognition vs. recall)
• Avoid duplicating categories
• Utilize working, final, and archive folders if appropriate

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MIT Libraries. Data management and publishing: Organize your files. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved from http://libraries.mit.edu/data-management/store/organize

Folder Organization

File characteristics to pay attention to: function, content, history, format, authorship/ownership, origin

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Organize files within subfolders in a way that is intuitive and follows the narrative of the assignment, project, data analysis, etc.

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[Research area] / [Project] / [Data or documentation] / [Date]

[Project] / [Sub-project] / [Experiment] / [Instrument] / [Date]

[Project] / [Type of file] / [Data collector name] / [Date]

[Semester] / [Class Subject] / [Class number] / [Assignments]

[Semester] / [Class Subject] / [Class number] / [Readings]

Sample Files: Smoking Cessation Campaigns in CA

Hierarchical Folder Structures

Benefits

• Intuitive, logical, and familiar
• Assists with tracking the progress of a project
• Works well for collaboration and group projects
• Works well for projects that have multiple components

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MIT Libraries. Data management and publishing: Organize your files. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved from http://libraries.mit.edu/data-management/store/organize

File Naming

File Naming Common Elements

File names should include content specific or descriptive information, independent of where the files are stored:

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• Description of content
• Name of research team/department/class
• Date of creation/collection
• Name of creator
• Publication date
• Project identifier
• Version number

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File Naming Examples

Order by date:

20140915_Phys121_notes.pdf

20141215_Chem115_lab1.docx

20150120_Psych101_syllabus.pdf

20150412_Psych101_notes.docx

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Order by subject:

Chem115_lab1_20141215.docx

Phys121_notes_20140915.pdf

Psych101_notes_20150412.docx

Psych101_syllabus_20150120.pdf

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Order by type:

Lab1_Chem115_20141215.docx

Notes_Phys121_20140915.pdf

Notes_Psych101_20150412.docx

Syllabus_Psych101_20150120.pdf

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Forced order:

01_Chem115_lab1_20141215.docx

02_Phys121_notes_20140915.pdf

03_Psych101_notes_20150412.docx

04_Psych101_syllabus_20150120.pdf

Adapted from Whitmire A (2015) Northwest 5 Consortium data curation workshop slides. ScholarsArchive@OSU http://hdl.handle.net/1957/56233

File Naming Best Practices

• Be consistent
• Always include the same information (e.g. date, owner etc.)
• Retain the order of information
• Create names that allow you to best sort your files appropriately
• Be consistent with date format (ISO date standard: yyyymmdd)
• Don’t use generic file names that may conflict when moving from one location to another
• Try to keep file names under 32 characters
• 32CharactersLooksExactlyLikeThis.csv

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Adapted from Whitmire A (2015) Northwest 5 Consortium data curation workshop slides. ScholarsArchive@OSU http://hdl.handle.net/1957/56233

File Naming Best Practices Continued

• Adopt group guidelines- files should outlast the creator
• No special characters: & , * % # ; * ( ) ! @$ ^ ~ ' { } [ ] ? < > + /
• Instead of spaces use underscores or CamelCase
• If using numbers, consider the scale of your project (e.g. 9 vs. 99 vs. 999)
• Use zeros as placeholders: 009, 099, 999

* When renaming a large number of files (e.g. digital camera files) use batch renaming software

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Adapted from Whitmire A (2015) Northwest 5 Consortium data curation workshop slides. ScholarsArchive@OSU http://hdl.handle.net/1957/56233

From Software Carpentry Foundation (2018) Data & Project Organization, Reproducible Science Curriculum. https://reproducible-science-curriculum.github.io/organization-RR-Jupyter/02-directories/.

Benefits of Good Naming Practices

• Distinguish from each other within their containing folder
• webnotes.docx vs. 20120105WebTeamMinutes.docx
• Allows for files to be sorted in a logical sequence
• Easier to locate and browse files to be retrieved by the creator but by other users
• Prevents confusion when multiple people are working on shared files
• Avoid accidentally overwriting or deleting files

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Versioning

Versioning Best Practices

• Be consistent
• Keep raw files raw and never edit original copies
• Avoid using confusing labels such as revision1, final1, final2, finalfinal
• Exception: use FINAL to indicate the final version of the document
• Pick a method of versioning that makes sense to you and any collaborators
• Move older versions into a separate folder (Archive folder)
• If appropriate, use a tracking facility or version control software such as rather than saving each version after minor changes.

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http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/create-manage/format/organising-data

Versioning Examples

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http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/create-manage/format/organising-data

Benefits of Good Versioning Practices

• Clearly differentiate between the different data files
• Reduce the chance of accidentally losing the current or final version
• Track the development of your work
• Return to earlier versions if needed
• May be a requirement of the project

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http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/create-manage/format/organising-data

Hierarchical Structures: Criticisms

• Too Restrictive
• May want to have the same file in multiple places
• Used for over 40 years and may not match current needs and technologies
• Do people nowadays pay attention to where/how files are stored?

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Seltzer, M. I., & Murphy, N. (2009, May). Hierarchical File Systems Are Dead. In HotOS.

Tagging

Create categories and groupings using tags

• Assign multiple descriptive keywords to your folders and files
• Support of tags varies between operating systems and platforms
• Can use a color coded system in place of or along with tags
• Use tags with a hierarchical folder structure or a more informal folder structure

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Tagging Best Practices

• Establish and standardize your tagging system
• Keep tags simple and short

“wri 10 research paper" is tagged as "wri 10" and "research paper"

• If dates are relevant, create tags for month, year, semester, etc.
• Make your tags consistent
• singular v. plural
• capitalize v. lowercase
• Keep a master list to review periodically and delete unused tags

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Tagging Benefits

Benefits

• Simple and fast
• A combination of multiple tags typically can describe content characteristics more fully than a folder and file name
• One of the most flexible organizational tools
• Easier to remember than file names
• Works well with for search-based retrieval
• Visually flag items that require attention

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Collaboration Tips

• Identify shared, stable places to store your files
• Keep the number of locations small
• The fewer places there are to find a document, the more likely it is that the file can be found
• Keep your folders simple
• Keeping the number of top-level folders low is key
• Each click is a decision and commitment

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Additional Tips

• Have a file that you want to store in 2 or more places?
• Create a shortcut to your file to store in additional folders
• Working across platforms or using both online and offline locations?
• Utilize shortcut icons and links to other locations or resources
• Talk with colleagues on how they organize their projects
• Recognized that your project structure will evolve throughout the project’s lifetime

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Strategies Recap

• Hierarchical Folder System
• Using a system of parent folders and subfolders
• File Naming Best Practices
• Use descriptive but brief names
• Use ISO date format
• Implement a system that allows you to easily sort files
• Versioning
• Implement a versioning system
• Tagging
• Use tags systematically to increase search/access methods

Final Words

• Organize your project that makes sense for collaborators and most importantly - future you.
• There’s no single way to do it; establish a system that works for you.
• Your organization system may evolve as your priorities or workflow change.

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• It’s ok to start small. What is one strategy you can start implementing today?

Resources

Frazer, M. (14 January 2013). An Elevator Pitch for File Naming Conventions. ACRL TechConnect blog. Retrieved from http://acrl.ala.org/techconnect/?p=2607

JISC Digital Media. Choosing a File Name [Managing]. Jisc. Retrieved from http://www.webarchive.org.uk/wayback/archive/20160101151739/http:/www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/guide/choosing-a-file-name

MIT Libraries. Data management and publishing: Organize your files. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved from http://libraries.mit.edu/data-management/store/organize

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Resources

macOS Sierra: Use tags to organize files. Retrieved from https://support.apple.com/kb/PH25325?locale=en_US

Adding Properties and Tags to Files (Windows) http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1963993&seqNum=20

UC Merced Library Digital Curation & Scholarship

http://library.ucmerced.edu/digital-curation-and-scholarship

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