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![File Naming Conventions
• How?
– Files should be named consistently
– Files names should be descriptive but short (<25
characters)
– Use underscores instead of spaces
– Avoid these characters: “ / : * ? ‘ < > [ ] & $
– Use the dating convention: YYYY-MM-DD](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/20141114datamanagement101v1-141114134927-conversion-gate01/85/Data-Management-101-16-320.jpg)
Uploaded byKristin Briney
Data Management 101
The document outlines essential principles of data management, emphasizing the importance of file organization, consistent naming conventions, and thorough documentation. It provides guidance on effective storage solutions and backup strategies to ensure data accessibility and usability over time. Additionally, it addresses the necessity of proper planning and record-keeping for future data usability and resilience against potential data loss.
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Data Management 101
- 1. Do You StillHave Your Data? • What if your hard drive crashes? • What if you are accused of fraud? • What if your collaborator abruptly quits? • What if the building burns down? • What if you need to use your old data? • What if your backup fails? • What if your computer gets stolen? • What if…
- 2. Data Management 101 14November 2014 Kristin Briney, PhD
- 3. Data Management Basics •Introduction to a few topics in data management – File organization and naming – Documentation – Storage and backups – Future file usability
- 4. For each minuteof planning at beginning of a project, you will save 10 minutes of headache later
- 5. FILE ORGANIZATION &NAMING Dan Zen, http://www.flickr.com/photos/danzen/5551831155/ (CC BY)
- 6. File Organization • What? –Keeping your files in order
- 7. File Organization • Why? –Easier to find and use data – Tell, at a glance, what is done and what you have yet to do – Can still find and use files in the future
- 8. File Organization • When? –Always! – Get in the habit of putting files in the right place
- 9. File Organization • How? –Any system is better than none – Make your system logical for your data • 80/20 Rule – Possibilities • By project • By analysis type • By date • …
- 10. Example • Thesis – Bychapter • By file type (draft, figure, table, etc.) • Data – By researcher • By analysis type – By date
- 11. File Naming Conventions •What? – Consistent naming for files
- 12.
- 13. File Naming Conventions •Why? – Make it easier to find files – Avoid duplicates – Make it easier to wrap up a project because you know which files belong to it
- 14. File Naming Conventions •When? – For a group of related files (3 to 1000+) – May need different conventions for different groups
- 15. File Naming Conventions •How? – Pick what is most important for your name • Date • Site • Analysis • Sample • Short description
- 16. File Naming Conventions •How? – Files should be named consistently – Files names should be descriptive but short (<25 characters) – Use underscores instead of spaces – Avoid these characters: “ / : * ? ‘ < > [ ] & $ – Use the dating convention: YYYY-MM-DD
- 17. Example • YYYYMMDD_site_sampleNum – 20140422_PikeLake_03 –20140424_EastLake_12 • Analysis-sample-concentration – UVVis-stilbene-10mM – IR-benzene-pure
- 18.
- 19. What would someoneunfamiliar with your data need in order to find, evaluate, understand, and reuse them?
- 20. Documentation • Why? – Datawithout notes are unusable – Because you won’t remember everything – For others who may need to use your files
- 21. Documentation • When? – Always –Documentation needs will vary between files
- 22. Documentation • How? – Takegood notes – Metadata schemas • http://www.dcc.ac.uk/resources/metadata-standards
- 23. Documentation • How? – Methods •Protocols • Code • Survey • Codebook • Data dictionary • Anything that lets someone reproduce your results
- 24. Documentation • How? – Templates •Like structured metadata but easier • Decide on a list of information before you collect data – Make sure you record all necessary details – Takes a few minutes upfront, easy to use later • Print and post in prominent place or use as worksheet
- 25. Example • I needto collect: – Date – Experiment – Scan number – Powers – Wavelengths – Concentration (or sample weight) – Calibration factors, like timing and beam size
- 26. Documentation • How? – README.txt •For digital information, address the questions – “What the heck am I looking at?” – “Where do I find X?” • Use for project description in main folder • Use to document conventions • Use where ever you need extra clarity
- 27. Example • Project-wide README.txt –Basic project information • Title • Contributors • Grant info • etc. – Contact information for at least one person – All locations where data live, including backups
- 28. Example “Talk_v1: rough outlineof talk Talk_v2: draft of talk Talk_v3: updated 2014-01-15 after feedback” “ ‘Data’ folder contains all raw data files by date ‘Analysis’ has analyzed data and plots ‘Paper’ has drafts of article on this work”
- 29. grover_net, http://www.flickr.com/photos/9246159@N06/599820538/ (CCBY-ND) STORAGE AND BACKUPS
- 30. Storage • Why? – Needgood storage practices to prevent loss – Keep data secure
- 31. Storage • How? – Librarymotto: Lots of Copies Keeps Stuff Safe! – Rule of 3: 2 onsite, 1 offsite
- 32. Storage • How? – Computer –External hard drive – Shared drives/servers – Tape backup – Cloud storage* – CDs/DVDs – USB flash drive Erica Wheelan, https://www.flickr.com/photos/reinventedwheel/5985479866 (CC BY)
- 33. *Cloud Storage • Readthe Terms of Service! • Eg. Google Drive – “When you upload or otherwise submit content to our Services, you give Google (and those we work with) a worldwide license to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works (such as those resulting from translations, adaptations or other changes we make so that your content works better with our Services), communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute such content. The rights you grant in this license are for the limited purpose of operating, promoting, and improving our Services, and to develop new ones”
- 34.
- 35. Backups • How? – Anybackup is better than none – Automatic backup is better than manual – Your work is only as safe as your backup plan
- 36. Backups • How? – Checkyour backups • Backups only as good as ability to recover data • Test your backups periodically – Preferably a fixed schedule – 1 or 2 times a year may be enough – Bigger/more complex backups should be checked more often • Test your backup whenever you change things
- 37. Example • I keepmy data – On my computer – Backed up manually on shared drive • I set a weekly reminder to do this – Backed up automatically via SpiderOak cloud storage
- 38. FUTURE FILE USABILITY Ian,http://www.flickr.com/photos/ian-s/2152798588/ (CC BY-NC-ND)
- 39. Future File Usability •What? – Can you read your files from 10 years ago? – Data needs to be • Accessible • Interpretable • Readable
- 40.
- 41. Future File Usability •Why? – You may want to use the data in 5 years – PI sometimes keeps data and notes – Prep for data sharing – Per OMB Circular A-110, must retain data at least 3 years post-project • Better to retain for >6 years
- 42. Future File Usability •When? – When you wrap up a project – (As you work on a project)
- 43. Future File Usability •How? – Back up written notes • People always forget this one • Difficult to interpret data without notes • Options – Digitally scan (recommended with digital data) – Photocopies
- 44. Future File Usability •How? – Convert file formats • Can you open digital files from 10 years ago? • Use open, non-proprietary formats that are in wide use – .docx .txt – .xlsx .csv – .jpg .tif • Save a copy in the old format, just in case • Preserve software if no open file format
- 45. Future File Usability •How? – Move to new media • Hardware dies and becomes obsolete – Floppy disks! • Expect average lifetime to be 3-5 years • Keep up with technology
- 46. WHERE TO GOFROM HERE
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- 49. Resources • Data Services –http://uwm.edu/libraries/dataservices/ • Data Management Guide – http://guides.library.uwm.edu/data • Data Services Librarian – briney@uwm.edu
- 50. Thank You! • Thispresentation available under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license • Some content courtesy of Dorothea Salo – http://www.graduateschool.uwm.edu/research/resear cher-central/proposal-development/data-plan/boot- camp/ (CC BY)