Organize your files
File version control
Keeping track of versions of documents and datasets is critical. Strategies include:
- Directory structure naming conventions
- Directory top-level folder should include the project title, unique identifier, and date.
- The substructure should have a clear and documented naming convention, such as numbering or naming the experiment runs, dataset versions, and/or researchers.
- File naming conventions
- Reserve the 3-letter file extension for application-specific codes, for example, formats like .wrl, .mov, and .tif.
- Identify the activity or project in the file name
- Many disciplines have recommendations, for example: DOE’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program
For more help, see materials from our workshop on file organization.