Managing Research Data
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      Research Data Organization: File Naming Best Practices

      A guide to creating a file naming system that will allow you to organize and preserve your research.

      What Is a File Naming Scheme?

      Descriptive file names are an important part of organizing, sharing, and keeping track of data files. A file naming scheme provides a standardized way of naming files associated with a specific research project. For example, you might name image files using the scheme YYYYMMDD_Image_Modification.

      Why Is It Important to Have a File Naming Scheme?

      Having a consistent file naming scheme will help you keep track of all your data. It will help you:

      • avoid computational mistakes when you analyze the data. 
      • browse your data and see what is in a file folder at a glance. 
      • remember what is in each file when you return to old data.

      How Do I Create a File Naming Scheme?

      The most important part of creating a file naming scheme is choosing a format that you can consistently follow. The second most important part is documenting the scheme. This information can go in a plain-text README in the folder(s) where you are storing your files.

      File Naming Best Practices

      • Don’t use spaces in file names. Instead, use underscores (_), hyphens (–) or camel case (camelCase).
      • Make your file names less than 30 characters.
      • Don’t use special characters (e.g., #, $, %)
      • Use a version number.
      • Include a date in ISO 8601 format (YYYYMMDD).

      Elements to Consider in Your File Naming Scheme

      • Date of creation (Putting the date first will facilitate computer-aided date sorting.)
      • Short Description
      • Work
      • Location
      • Project name or number
      • Sample
      • Analysis
      • Version number

      Additional Resources


      File Naming Scheme Examples

      Bulk File Renaming Programs

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      Sources

      File Naming Best Practices by Christine Malinowski, MIT Libraries Data Management Services. Copyright © 2020-04-24 MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License except where otherwise noted. [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/]. Access at https://www.dropbox.com/s/ttv3boomxlfgiz5/Handout_fileNaming.pdf?dl=0.

      Ferrier, Emily. “Data Management: Naming and Organizing Data.” Brown University Library, July 12, 2023. https://libguides.brown.edu/DataManagement/naming.

      Princeton Research Data Service. “File Organization.” Accessed December 1, 2023. https://researchdata.princeton.edu/research-lifecycle-guide/file-organization.

      Research Data Services. “Introduction to Data Management for Undergraduate Students: File Naming Conventions.” Illinois Library. Accessed December 1, 2023. https://guides.library.illinois.edu/introdata/filenames.

      Darragh, Jen. “Research Data Management: Organization and File Names.” Duke University Libraries, October 10, 2023. https://guides.library.duke.edu/c.php?g=633433&p=4429283.