Why it's worth thinking about folder structures

A research group manager contacted the Service Center Research Data, because he wanted to setup a shared group drive. But which data should be stored there? And how can you make sure that the files can be found and understood in five years? 

Over time, the way of working with data within a research group changes. New employees come and others leave the group. New research projects are granted or new research topics emerge. By changing your workflows you also change the way you handle your files.  

A reasonable folder structure helps you to keep an overview of your data. In collaboration with the group leader, we analyzed how the data is collected and processed. Visualization of the data flow and discussions in in-depth interviews resulted in data categories from which a research-oriented folder structure naturally emerged.

In addition to categorizing the data in a folder structure, it's helpful to specify the format and the naming schema of your files. Together with the research group, guidelines for uniform documentation, folder structure and naming convention were developed.

Do you ever wished to find and understand your colleague's data quickly and without any problems?

We would be happy to get in touch with you!