This article explains the importance for a well-thought out folder structure and provides tips for creating a folder structure for your research data.

Introduction

Designing a logical folder structure ensures that your research data is easy to navigate, for you and your colleagues, now and in the future.

Why is a folder structure important?

A folder structure is an important aspect of file (e.g. research data) organisation and storage. Implementing a clear and logical structure with descriptive names ensures that your files are easy to find. This helps prevent loss of research data and supports efficient file storage and retrieval.

How to create a folder structure?

Preferably, a folder structure is set up before a research project has started or before data is collected, for example when writing your data management plan. Some research groups have a template folder structure in place. Check with the data steward of your research group whether this is the case for you. 

If a folder structure needs to be set up, you need to identify and understand what types of files you’re working with and how these files should be organised. Here, it helps to design an organisational method that fits your project. These could be based on:

• Data type (text, images, models, etc.)
• Data phase or step in the research process (raw, processed, analysed, reused)
• Project title or its abbreviation
• Experimental run
• Subject   
• Activity
• Other important project information 

Folder structure tips to consider 

When having identified the organising method for your research project files, including research data, consider the following tips for your folder structure: 

• Start broad, then get specific: begin with a few main folders in which you create subfolders to add more detail. 
• Avoid making the folder structure too deep (e.g. >3 folders deep). This way, you need to still search for files and the functionality of your folder structure is lost.
• Use a naming system: when having more descriptive elements in folder names, use the order consistently. 
• Include the project name abbreviation. In the case of accidental misplacing a folder, it can be easily found back and it remains clear where the folder belongs.
• Avoid numbering folders, because 1) the order imposed by numbering may make sense to you now, but not necessarily to others or to yourself after a number of years and 2) in the course of your research the need for an additional folder in between the present ones may arise. This would result in having to rename several of the remaining folders.
• Keep folder names short: use abbreviations or codes for the descriptive elements and describe these in a documentation file that is saved in the parent folder of your folder structure.  
• Avoid using spaces, special characters, and periods. Instead use underscores, dashes or what is known as camel case (e.g. StudentProjects).

Folder structure example 

Questions/Support

Do you have questions about this service or would you like personal support? Feel free to contact us. You can send an email to data@wur.nl.