A good practice is to establish a standardized system for keeping track of file versions, so collaborative work can proceed smoothly.
- Versioning, or keeping distinct copies of a document as it changes over time, is traditionally considered in the context of computer code or software, but can just as easily be applied to data
- Applying version control to research files offers a low-barrier way to document provenance, or the origin of data, how it has been changed or transformed, where it has been moved to, and where it currently is
- File versioning can be tracked with file naming conventions, such as by appending a new version number like “_v03” at the end of a file name
- Versioning can also be done with a date, preferably using a variation of the ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD)
- Using a version control software allows multiple people to work together on the same project at the same time, allowing for collaboration and accountability
Below are version control softwares and file sharing tools used at Harvard. Important reminders:
- At the close of a project, be sure to retain a copy of the file sets to be saved in the Harvard or sponsored research storage to ensure Harvard retains a copy of the files to align with data retention policies.
- If your files contain any proprietary or confidential information, you must store these in a Harvard Security Level 4 or 5 certified environment.
Software Tools
Git
Version control system that tracks versions of files- Git is a distributed version control tool that can manage a development project's source code history
- Git is the most common and widely accepted version control software, which you can run locally on your computer
- Learn more about Git
GitHub
Proprietary developer platform for hosting git repositories to create, store, manage, and share code- GitHub is a web-based service for Git repositories (i.e., groups of tracked files)
- GitHub is commonly used for managing and sharing different versions of code for programming projects, but it can be used just as effectively for version control of other types of files, such as text documents
- GitHub has a huge open-source community
- Get started with GitHub
- Harvard Enterprise GitHub
GitLab
Open source software to collaborate on code- GitLab is an open source software that provides a Git repository hosting service and collaborative revision control
- GitLab has project management, issue tracking, and free private repository hosting
- See more about GitLab
Bitbucket
Git-based source code repository hosting service- Bitbucket is a web-based version control repository hosting service owned by Atlassian, for source code and development projects that use Git
- Bitbucket tends to have mostly enterprise and business users
- Learn more about Bitbucket
Subversion
Version control system that tracks changes to files over time- Apache Subversion is a server-client software versioning and revision control system
- Software developers use Subversion to maintain current and historical versions of files such as source code, web pages, and documentation
- Get started with Apache Subversion
File Sharing Platforms
OneDrive
Harvard M365 OneDrive offers resources for storing, sharing, and working collaboratively on documents- Microsoft 365 OneDrive provides resources for storing an individual’s work-related files, sharing them with colleagues within and outside of Harvard, and even working on Microsoft 365 documents with others at the same time
- Users have 25 GB of file storage for up to Level 3 data
- As of June 11, Harvard M365 OneDrive has "automatic version history” setting enabled
- With this setting enabled, all versions of your file are retained for 30 days
- After 30 days, some previous versions of the file are removed based on its age and when it was last edited
- The most recent version of your file is retained indefinitely
- If you need to retain all prior versions of files after June 11, follow instructions to revert to the previous settings in OneDrive
- For storing shared departmental files, use Sharepoint or Teams instead
- Be sure you are not utilizing a personal OneDrive for conducting university business, as the Harvard OneDrive ensures compliance and leverages security measures that personal accounts may lack
- Learn more about Microsoft 365 OneDrive in the HUIT Service Catalog
SharePoint
Harvard M365 SharePoint provides a secure platform to collaborate, organize, share, and access files- Microsoft 365 SharePoint provides teams a secure platform to collaborate on group, departmental, or project files
- Users can organize, share, and access files from any device
- Files can be shared externally with non-Harvard faculty and staff
- 10 GB per SharePoint site
- As of June 11, Harvard M365 SharePoint has "automatic version history” setting enabled
- With this setting enabled, all versions of your file are retained for 30 days
- After 30 days, some previous versions of the file are removed based on its age and when it was last edited
- The most recent version of your file is retained indefinitely
- If you need to retain all prior versions of files after June 11, follow instructions to revert to the previous settings in SharePoint
- Harvard SharePoint is approved for up to Medium Risk Confidential (L3) data
- Storage for Level 4 data is available upon request, subject to certain restrictions
- Learn more about Microsoft 365 SharePoint in the HUIT Service Catalog
Microsoft Teams
Harvard M365 Teams provides a secure, chat-oriented, collaboration center- Microsoft Teams is a secure, chat-oriented, collaboration center that integrates several Microsoft 365 applications into a single workspace
- SharePoint, OneDrive, Outlook, and OneNote are built in, and team members can work on Microsoft 365 files within the app
- Harvard M365 Teams is approved for up to Medium Risk Confidential (L3) data
- Learn more about Microsoft Teams in the HUIT Service Catalog
Dropbox
Dropbox for Harvard provides secure file storage and sharing of medium-risk data- Dropbox is a file hosting service that offers cloud storage, file synchronization, personal cloud, and client software
- Dropbox for Harvard provides secure file storage and sharing of Medium Risk Confidential (L3) data
- Good for faculty and research staff who already use consumer Dropbox accounts for work at Harvard, or have strong external collaboration requirements with teams from other institutions
- Dropbox for Harvard (Dropbox Advanced) allows 365 days for document version recovery
- Be sure you are not utilizing a personal Dropbox for conducting university business, as the Harvard Dropbox ensures compliance and leverages security measures that personal accounts may lack
- Learn more about Dropbox for Harvard in the HUIT Service Catalog
Google Drive
Harvard Google Drive enables you to store, access, and share files- Google Drive is a file storage and synchronization service that allows users to store files on their servers, synchronize files across devices, and share files
- My Drive is for your personal files that you own and can be shared individually
- Shared drive is for files and folders your team is collaborating on and are owned at the team level
- Team members continue to have access to a shared drive even after one leaves
- Google keeps track of each revision to the file with built-in version tracking and the ability to get back to earlier file versions
- Harvard Google Drive is approved for up to Medium Risk Confidential (L3) data
- Be sure you are not utilizing a personal Google Drive for conducting university business, as the Harvard Google Drive ensures compliance and leverages security measures that personal accounts may lack
- Learn more about Google Drive in the HUIT Service Catalog
Open Science Framework
OSF provides free and open source project management tool for storing and sharing files- Open Science Framework (OSF) provides free and open source project management support for researchers across the entire research lifecycle
- With OSF you can manage, store, and share documents, datasets, and other information
- OSF has built-in version control and retains all copies of a file added to OSF
- OSF further provides access to versions of files stored on third-party storage providers (however, check with your storage provider to understand their policies and practices related to versioning)
- Harvard Library provides integration with HarvardKey for logging in and connecting Harvard storage platforms (e.g., Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, GitHub)
- Get started with Open Science Framework at Harvard
- Read more about File Revisions and Version Control with OSF Projects