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Writing a data management plan: naming conventions for research data files

File and folder naming conventions are key to maintaining well-organised electronic directory and drive structures. A filename is the chief identifier for a research data file. In most cases the policy for naming a file is left to individuals or to groups of individuals.

There are a number of easy-to-follow rules that should be followed when naming data files:

  • Keep file names short and relevant - generally about 25 characters is a sufficient length to capture enough descriptive information for naming a data file
  • Do not use special characters in a filename such as : & * % $ £ ] { ! @ as these are often used for specific tasks in a digital environment
  • Use underscores instead of full-stops or spaces because, like special characters, these are parsed differently on different systems
  • The filename should include as much descriptive information that will assist identification independent of where it is stored
  • If including dates, format them consistently
  • Do not assume that the software application or instrument uses case dependency when naming or renaming files within the aforementioned utility - assume that TANGO, Tango and tango are the same, even thought some file systems may consider them as different.
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PILOT - Writing a data management plan by Edina, University of Edinburgh modified by Marion Kelt, GCU is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Based on a work at http://datalib.edina.ac.uk/mantra/introduction.html