README Files are a common way to document the contents and structure of a folder and/or a dataset so that a researcher can locate the information they need. Data documentation can be maintained in a variety of forms. Explore additional Documentation & Metadata practices.

What is a README File?

Provide a clear and concise description of all relevant details about data collection, processing, and analysis in a README file. This will help others interpret and reanalyze your dataset.

README files are created for a variety of reasons:

  • to document changes to files or file names within a folder
  • to explain file naming conventions, practices, etc. "in general" for future reference
  • to specifically accompany files/data being deposited in a repository
     

It is best practice to create a README file for each dataset regardless of whether it is being deposited in a repository because the document might become necessary later.

  • A good data practice is to store a readme.txt with each distinct dataset that explains your file naming convention along with any abbreviations or codes you have used.
  • Write your README file as a plain text file, and avoid proprietary formats, such as Microsoft Word, whenever possible. However, PDF is acceptable when formatting is important.
  • If you deposit your final datasets in a data repository, the repository may ask you to provide a README file with additional details about your datasets, such as methodological information or sharing/access information. Creating a README file at the beginning of your research process, and updating it consistently throughout your research, will help you to compile a final README file when your data is ready for deposit.
     

README Resources

  • README Template

    Title of dataset
     

    Name/institution/contact information for:

    • Principal Investigator (or person responsible for collecting the data)
    • Data manager or custodian
       

    File name structure

    • Structure: Provide the template you are using for your filenames
    • Attributes: Describe the attributes used to name the files
    • Codes: Provide a complete list of any codes/abbreviations used
    • Provide examples of the above items
       

    File formats

    • Provide a list of all file formats present in this dataset. If you need to convert or migrate your data files from one format to another, be aware of the potential risk of the loss or corruption of your data and take appropriate steps to avoid/minimize it
    • File Format Examples:
      • Databases: XML, CSV
      • Geospatial: SHP, DBF, GeoTIFF, NetCDF
      • Moving Images: MOV, MPEG, AVI, MXF
      • Audio: WAVE, AIFF, MP3, MXF
      • Numbers/statistics: ASCII, DTA, POR, SAS, SAV\Images: TIFF, JPEG 2000, PDF, PNG, GIF, BMP
      • Text: PDF/A, HTML, ASCII, XML, UTF-8
      • Graphs: JSON, YAML, XML

    Column headings for tabular data

    • For tabular data, list and define column headings:
      • Units of measurement
      • Data formats, such as YYYY/MM/DD
      • Calculations
      • Versioning: Establish a procedure for documenting changes in files. One option is to create a changelog in this README file, where every step that will change the output files is listed.
         

  • Example README File

    Dataset Title: Raw Images for Experiment A, Smith Lab
     

    Principal Investigator: John Smith, PI, 555-555-5555, jsmith@hms.harvard.edu
     

    File Naming Convention: ExperimentName_InstrumentID_CaptureDateTime_ImageID.tif
    The base file name is composed of the name of the experiment, the ID number of the instrument used, the date and time that the image was captured, and the unique identifier of the image.
     

    Attributes: Also see the Codes section for a list of instruments and their ID numbers

    1. ExperimentName = Name of the experiment
    2. Instrument ID = Five-digit code assigned to the lab instrument
    3. CaptureDateTime = Date and time at which the image was captured, in YYYYMMDD format
    4. Image ID = Three-digit unique identifier for image, such as 001, 002, 003
       

    Codes:

    1. [List of instruments and IDs]
       

    Examples:

    1. File formats: daf2-age1_14052_20150412T0515_005.tif
    2. Versioning: All changes to this dataset will be documented in a changelog in this README file
       

  • Additional Guidance
What's in a README?
RDM Seminar Recorded Summer 2020
Watch the following video to get started with README Files

Download PDF Presentation Slides | Download PDF Presentation with Notes