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Data Management

Keeping Your Data Organized and Usable

The data management practices you engage in as your project is underway can affect the accessibility of data during the research process, and have lasting effects long after the project concludes. Fortunately, many of these activities are basic and require very little extra effort. Organizing your files, adequately describing the content, and conducting regular backups will keep your data easy to use, particularly if your research team is large or the project is long-term.  You will want to keep in mind the file structures, file naming, and file versioning you will use so that you can find and use your data when you need it.

Many free tools are available to help you manage your research data, including these programs below:

Bulk Rename Utility: an interface for renaming and moving multiple files at once.

File Organization

Creating a consistent filing system to maintain easy access to all your data.  Ad-hoc filing systems may not be easy to navigate among several members of a research team, or after lengthy amounts of time have passed. While there is no single “correct” way to organize your files—every project is different—there are some best practices that are recommended.

Click below for a guide on organization: