Andrea Baruzzi (Sciences)
Sarah Elichko (Social Sciences)
Keeping your files, folders, and research life in order
creating
editing
saving
sharing
Today's focus:
• Reduce time and energy spent on logistics
• Improve collaboration
• Opportunity to think through your work
• Can facilitate using digital tools for analysis
provide structure
(because without them, all you'd have is this...)
/[Program]/[Year]/[Aspect of program]
/[Project]/[Type of file]/[Data collector name]/[YYYYMMDD]
/butterfly/tabular/mcneill/20160117
/butterfly/images/mcneill/20160117
/2016-2017/fall/hist091/paper1
/2016-2017/fall/soan098/proposal
/[Academic Year]/[Semester]/[Course]/[Assignment]
← Jan 17, 2016
/RIAs/2016-2017/applications
/RIAs/2016-2017/lesson_plans
• Format dates, numbers, and names so they sort well (sortable)
Machine-friendly:
Human-friendly:
• Choose names that make sense to you (skimmable)
• Use consistent abbreviations + terms (predictable)
• Consider adding a readme file (understandable)
// Machine-friendly //
To sort correctly, use: YYYY-MM-DD
YYYY-MM-DD
2011-10-13
20111013
Year-Month-Day
2015-10-12
20151012
// Machine-friendly //
Usual practice:
List as entered: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
When sorted: 1, 10, 11, 12, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Better practice:
List as entered: 001, 002 ... 010, 011, 012
When sorted: 001, 002 … 010, 011, 012
// Machine-friendly //
Typical sort order*:
1. Underscores
2. Numbers
3. Letters
* on most systems, including Google Drive and Mac
Folders sorted alphabetically:
_2017-07-14
2017-07-14
2017-08-01
ASAP
SOON
TODAY
• Adjust dates so they're sortable:
YYYY-MM-DD
2017-06-23
• Add leading zeroes to numbers
in folder names:
001, 002 ... 010, 011, 012
Research-Group-A / Project-1
Research-Group-A / Project-2
2016-2017 / Fall / ANTH-043E
2016-2017 / Fall / SOCI-055C
// Human Friendly //
// Human Friendly //
• If there's a standard out there, use it
(e.g. department abbreviations)
• If not, document your decision (see below)
• Short & simple - what do you mean by xyz
• Gift to your future self (/colleagues)
1.) What are the key structures that organize your work?
Semesters
Courses
Projects
Groups / Collaborations
Do any repeat? These might make good top-level folders.
Research-Group-A / Project-1
Research-Group-A / Project-2
Meetings
Assignments
2016-2017 / Fall / ANTH-043E
2016-2017 / Fall / SOCI-055C
2.) Do any structures "nest" inside others?
Semesters
Courses
Projects
Groups / Collaborations
These might make good mid-level folders.
Meetings
Assignments
Research-Group-A / Project-1
Research-Group-A / Project-2
2016-2017 / Fall / ANTH-043E / paper1
2016-2017 / Fall / SOCI-055C / paper2
3.) What kinds of documents do you generate while working?
Drafts
Procedures
Images
Numerical data
Meeting notes / minutes
Notes (ideas, etc.)
Lists (to-do, to-read, etc.)
Do any repeat? If so, these might make good sub-folders.
Research-Group-A / Project-2 / MeetingNotes
2016-2017 / Fall / ANTH-043E / paper1 / notes
Class notes
/butterfly/tabular/mcneill/20160117
/butterfly/images/mcneill/20160117
/Research-Group-A/Project-2/MeetingNotes
/2016-2017/fall/anth-043e/paper1/notes
/2016-2017/fall/hist091/paper1
/2016-2017/fall/soan098/proposal
/RIAs/2016-2017/applications
/RIAs/2016-2017/lesson_plans
/Research-Group-A/Project-1
/Research-Group-A/Project-2
Which would you prefer to find on your laptop...
six months from now?
• Include some descriptive info (skimmable)
• Be consistent (predictable)
Human-friendly:
• Use versioning - avoid "final final FINAL.pdf" (sortable)
• Keep it simple - no special characters (compatible)
Machine-friendly:
Reliable:
• Choose a future-friendly file format (when possible)
/ Research-Group-A / Project-2 / MeetingNotes
Include some descriptive information
even if files are inside well-labeled folders (skimmable)
/ 2016-2017 / Fall / ANTH-043E / paper1
Use versioning - avoid "final final FINAL.pdf"
• Sequential numbers indicate change over time (sortable)
• Text labels explain versions (skimmable, understandable)
Keep it simple - no special characters
• Good: letters, numbers, underscores (_), dashes (-)
even better: all lower-case
• Avoid: other punctuation marks & special characters, spaces
readings_class-04.pdf
Readings!!/class 4.pdf
data-survey04.xls
data.survey.4.xls
• Good: letters, numbers, underscores (_), dashes (-)
even better: all lower-case
• Avoid: other punctuation marks & special characters, spaces
readings_class-04.pdf
Readings!!/class 4.pdf
data-survey04.xls
data.survey.4.xls
Using sample data or your data,
improve a few file names.
Examples:
Use a future-friendly file format (when possible)
Aim for file formats that are:
Use a future-friendly file format (when possible)
Spreadsheets / tabular data: CSV (not Excel/.xlsx)
Text: TXT, PDF/A, or ODF (not Word/.docx)
Still images: TIFF, JPEG 2000
Moving images: MPEG-4, AVI, MXF
Sounds: WAVE, AIFF, MP3, MXF
Statistics: ASCII, DTA, POR, SAS, SAV
where is your work?
Ask: When might you need this again?
• Later this semester
• Applying for internships (next spring?)
• Taking a related course (next year?)
• Considering graduate school
• Applying for a job or graduate school
Already on faculty/staff computers
Personal folders
Group folders (AODocs)
Larger, more complex storage needs
Something > nothing
• Start small
• Build gradually
• Don't psych yourself out
Andrea Baruzzi
Sarah Elichko
ITS Help Desk
Skimmable
• Easily read at a glance
Understandable
• To your colleagues
• To your future self
Predictable
• Easy to keep up
Sortable
• Can be arranged correctly
Compatible
• Names that won't confuse systems