This guide shows researchers how to create a useful structure for their file folders.
Why Is Creating a Documented Folder Structure Important?
File folders (also called directories) help researchers organize and categorize the data files generated in research activities. A well-documented folder structure enhances accuracy and reproducibility by making data findable as lab staff come to and leave the project or if the researcher decides to return to an old dataset years later. The folder structure also allows outside researchers to accurately use and reanalyze the data.
How Do I Create a Folder Structure?
The single most important aspect of a folder structure is that it is something all research participants can agree on and consistently use. Preferably, the structure should be discussed and documented before data collection begins, though you may need to update your schema as the project progresses. Keep folder names short and clear.
Tip: For more guidance on naming your files, see our article on Creating Effective File Naming Schemes.
Possible Categories for Folders
- Type of data
- Phase of research (e.g., data analysis, publication, etc.)
- Date
- Location
- Type of contents (e.g., documentation, maps, etc.)
You might also want to consider creating a template for new folders. For example, if you are creating a new folder for each day of data collection, each day’s folder could have subfolders for data type A and data type B.
Things to Avoid
Excessive levels of folders: A good rule of thumb is not to exceed 3 or 4 levels in your folder schema. With too many levels, your schema risks becoming confusing or requiring too many clicks to get through.
Too many files in each folder: Try to make sure your folders contain 10 or fewer files, unless you are doing a type of research that generates a very large number of data files. Having too many files makes a folder difficult to navigate.
Ambiguous or overlapping categories: If your categories are inadequate, discuss possible improvements with your research partners.
Copies of the same file in different folders: This creates version-control issues because it can be unclear which file is the most up to date, or two copies of a file can have different edits made to them independently. Instead, create a shortcut to a master version of one file in a second folder.
Having a generic catch-all folder: For example, folder names like “current documents” or “my stuff” are too ambiguous.
Documenting Your Folder Structure
The folder structure should be documented in the README of your project. One example of how to document a folder structure in a text document is shown here. Some researchers might prefer documenting the structure with a flow chart, which can be added to the project folder. In addition to documenting the names of the folders, you should add an explanation of what the folders were used for and what they contain.
Example Folder Structure
This example from the UK Data Service presents one way your project folders could be structured:
- The first folder level is the project (ENBIOproject).
- The second level separates the data from the documentation.
- A further level is used to distinguish between different data types.
- The final level divides items based on the research activity.
Additional Resources
Examples
Sources
Nancy Edge, C.A. “File Guidelines: Folder Structure.” Texas Wesleyan University West Library, November 16, 2023. https://txwes.libguides.com/fileguidelines/structure.
Pasquier, Guillaume. “Research Data Management: Folder Structure.” Geneva Graduate Institute Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Library, November 16, 2023. https://libguides.graduateinstitute.ch/rdm/folders.
UK Data Service. “Organising.” UK Data Service. Accessed December 27, 2023. https://ukdataservice.ac.uk/learning-hub/research-data-management/format-your-data/organising/.