Macdonald-Kelce Library: Scholarly Communication @ UTampa: Organize and Document

Organize Your Research Data

Great organization is your best asset for data management.

Create a system
Work with collaborators
Use file version control

Use a System

The most important step to organize your research data is having a system and using it consistently. You may choose to organize your data by the following, or use them in combination:

By project
By data
By analysis type
By research
By site or data source

Document, Document, Document

Document throughout your research process.

Document any data processing analyses
Take notes!
Include both written, electronic, and recorded notes
Create documentation within your organization at project and folder levels
- Create a README.txt file
Use descriptive names within your documentation

README.text Files

README.txt files are a recommended method to document your project and add context when clarity is needed.

You should use a README.txt file at the top level of your research project folder to explain the purpose of the research, the relevant summary, name and contact information for project researchers, general organization of your files, and copyright and licensing information. A README file will be crucial for another researcher or collaborator to understand your data - but could even be useful to yourself in six months or six years when you might return to a project.

README.txt: Explanation and Example
This is a useful explanation by Kristin Briney, Data Services Librarian at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and contains an example for a top-level READMe.txt file.

README file examples
This list highlights excellent examples of README files on Github

Organize Your Folders

Separate out your research instead of putting all your samples in a general folder or a hard drive. Label it with the grant number, research site, type of data, and name the data file meaningfully.

Example:
Don't: Documents\Research\Sample1.jpg
Do: C:\\NSFGrant123\CaloRiver\Images\Calo_20170120.tiff

Name Files Meaningfully

Use meaningful names that are consistent, descriptive, and short.

A great way to meaningfully name files is to include the project, instrument, and the year, month, and date in the file name.

Example:
Don't: File12935.xls
Do: Project_Instrument_location_YYYYMMDD.csv

Use open file formats

Open file formats are less likely to become obsolete. Proprietary software, such as Microsoft Office Suite, may become obsolete. Open file formats have a history of wide adoption and backward compatibility. By choosing open file formats you can help ensure your data is accesible in the future.

Choose open formats:

.txt over .docx
.cvs over .xslx