File Organization

One of the most essential aspects of data management is organizing your data. This includes several elements, including thinking through names, structures, and relationships.

Researchers are advised to structure their folders (whether paper or electronic in form) to correspond to how the records were generated and to complement proposed or existing workflows.

  • Filing structures enable research processes to be more transparent, make it easier for investigators to determine where files should be saved, and ultimately make retrieval and archiving more efficient
  • Established file plans demonstrate consistency and continuity in recordkeeping
  • Before you even start collecting or working with data, you should decide how you will structure and name files and folders to allow for standardized data collecting and analysis by many team members

Organization Examples

The same set of files organized in two different ways. The first is organized by file type (code, data, results). The second is organized by analysis (figure 1, figure 2, table 1)

Image: Dryad FAIR Data practices to organize files in a logical schema.


Organization Strategies

One of the most common ways to group records is by function.

Because all records generated by the Harvard Medical School, the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, and the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health must be retained for certain lengths of time (review retention periods), maintaining records functionally will enable retention periods to be assigned to groups of records.

Here are some tips:

  • Organize your data hierarchically, and identify ways to divide your data into categories (or attributes):
    • Project
    • Time
    • Location
    • File type
  • Within folders, files can be maintained chronologically, by classification or code, or alphabetically (depending on the types of files)
  • Folder and subfolder names should reflect the content of the folder, not the names of researchers or staff
  • Document your file directory structure and describe the kinds of records that should be maintained in those folders to ensure compliance
  • Include basic information, such as project titles, dates, and some type of unique identifier (such as a grant number)

Consult with the Archives and Records Management program when establishing your file directory!

Organize Your Files
RDM Seminar Recorded Summer 2020
Watch the following video to learn more about organizing your files

Download PDF Presentation Slides | Download PDF Presentation with Notes