Naming and organising files
Organising and naming files and folders logically makes it easier for you to find research data files and understand their contents.
Naming and organising overview
It is good practice in research data management to develop a systematic approach to naming and organising your files and folders. File names should be short, but descriptive enough to tell you what the file contains.
A clear, concise, consistent file-naming and organising system will make it easier for you to find files later and understand their contents without having to open them. A structured and consistent file-naming strategy will also make it easier to batch-rename files and to sort or automate parts of any future analysis.
Naming schemas
Consider using a naming schema. For example:
Schema: [investigator]-[method]-[specimen]-[YYYYMMDD].ext
Example: tmr-lcms-8886-20260316.dat
Schema: [YYYMMDD]-[type]-[subject].ext
Example: 20260316-interview-recording-cmc.mp3
Possible elements to include in a file name
- Project/grant name/number
- Date of creation YYYYMMDD (this format ensures that all your files stay in chronological order)
- Initials of creator
- Description of content
- Collection method
- Version number
Other tips for file naming
- Avoid spaces. Use – (dash) or _ (underscore)
- Avoid special characters such as % ^ & *
- Keep to standard file extensions, e.g .txt .csv
- Pad numbers with appropriate leading zeros, e.g. 001, 002
Resources
- File naming best practices guide, Stanford University.
- Describing research data with a README
Contact
Research Data Support Services
Email: researchdata@auckland.ac.nz
eResearch Engagement Specialist
Email: Tom Saunders