Developing a shared directory structure can be challenging. You will quickly realize that it’s really about describing your everyday research. What terminology do we use in our research group? What research methods do we apply and what information (metadata) on projects, devices or practices are imperative for being able to quickly retrieve a file?

You will likely run into a purely pragmatic obstacle when developing a research-oriented directory structure: You will frequently need to include substantially more information on a file than is available for your directory or file name.

It is therefore helpful to store this information externally in small text files. Depending on the application, these can be denoted as a “directory profile,” a “metadata file” or a “README.”

A “directory profile” describes the structure of an individual level of the directory structure. What sub-folders does it contain? What data categories should be stored there? What files particularly worth mentioning are stored at this level and which information should be saved there? The “directory profile” is an important tool for quickly and efficiently offering other people additional assistance when working with your directory structure.

A “metadata file” is a collection of attribute-value pairs that define a dataset, a measurement or a result according to a uniform pattern defined by the research group. A “metadata file” is saved alongside each dataset, measurement or result. Since they are used uniformly, “metadata files” typically serve as the foundation for a metadata catalogue.

A “README” file is essentially a letter you write to your future self. This text file serves to establish freestanding but important information about the project, the measurement, the result, the method or the ideas. A “README” file can appear at any location in the directory structure and does not necessarily need to follow any sort of set pattern.

Are you interested in a research-oriented directory structure? Do you have remarks on a directory profile, metadata file or README file?

We would be glad to hear from you. Please contact us at Service Center Research Data by email or book an appointment.