Data organisation

Once the data has been securely backed up it is important that it is well organised. Data organisation is an area many library staff will be familiar with and helping to support researchers in this way makes good use of the librarian skill set. There are different ways of organising data depending on both what the data are and how the researcher intends to use them. The important thing is to have an organisational system in place for both digital and physical information.

Digital information

Most researchers work with some type of digital data or files. Below are two example file structures that you might see on a researcher's computer:

Many people automatically assume that Example B is the better folder structure but there are pluses and minuses to each approach.

In Example B everything is neatly organised into folders so that the researcher will know where to look for information but it may require a lot of drilling down to find the right document. In contrast, if a researcher is looking for fast access to a work in progress file it may be easier to retrieve it from Example A rather than from a complex folder structure. Example A uses a variety of file names but many of these are generic and meaningless which may make files hard to find. Would the researcher know which experiment they were talking about in three years’ time or would they struggle to find the correct data? How a researcher organises their digital information is very personal and what works for one person may not work for another. Library staff can advise on any preferred local methods and help researchers to come up with their own system if needed.

It is also important for researchers to consider the names of their individual files. Anyone working on a project needs to able to find what they need quickly and this is especially important with researchers who may be moving between projects and institutions. When they come into a project will they be able to find what they need or are they coming into a system which is complete chaos?

Again, the answer is to develop a system for naming files. Librarians can help researchers to develop their own systems or introduce them to existing examples such as those by the Queensland University of Technology or Stanford University.

Physical samples

Other researchers will deal more with physical information, whether these are samples in a lab or paper documents that they need to keep hold of. These samples need the same care and attention as digital files to ensure that they stay safe and accessible.

Below are some top tips for helping researchers manage physical samples:

• Create maps of samples and keep them up to date - creating a digital map of samples is a great way to keep track of what the researcher has used. This does not have to be a complicated procedure! It can be something simple such as a spreadsheet which is easy to use. The important things are to make a note of samples or files, where they are kept and to keep the map up to date.
• Remember to reference all samples - this is particularly important for scientific samples and to keep accurate records of sources for copyright purposes. Whichever referencing system is being used, keeping it consistent will save a lot of problems later in the research process.
• Add relevant notes - researchers should add any notes that they want to keep with the samples. These notes should be kept short and used sparingly to avoid the system becoming too complex.

Data organisation summary

Throughout this discussion on data organisation you will have noticed some themes emerging. It does not really matter how a researcher organises their data, just that they are doing so and in a way they have thought about. Whichever system researchers use, it should be:

• Consistent - so that researchers can easily keep track of their materials.
• Meaningful - to both the researcher and their colleagues so it can be easily followed, especially when moving between projects and institutions.
• Easy to use - so that researchers can find the files or samples they need quickly. Research projects accumulate a great deal of files and there is no point at all in investing the time in an organisational system if they then have to spend a long time finding what they need.