35 Folder Organization
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Lesson 6 of 17
Consider how you name and organize your folders. It is a good idea to keep a readme file in a top-level folder that describes what is in each folder (see the readme section in this module as an example).
You might create a readme that explains how you organized your data into folders and which file-naming conventions you use.
Rather than storing the same file in multiple locations, consider using file shortcuts (Windows) or aliases (Mac). Using shortcuts or aliases allows a document to appear in more than one folder without having to create and maintain multiple copies.
Note: A folder structure may also be referred to as a directory structure.
It is useful to plan a file hierarchy structure before you start your project. One way to do so is to sketch it out on a whiteboard (or use the worksheet in Activity 3.1). You will want to consider how you will group or categorize your data in ways that make sense for you and your team as you access and use data throughout the project. As you plan your folder hierarchy, it can also be useful to consider who requires access to the different files. Do all team members require access, and do they need both read and edit access to the files? Some folders may only need to be accessible to a principal investigator or certain team members. Consider whether you want a deep or shallow hierarchy; lots of nested folders increases the depth of the hierarchy. You can also create templates you can reuse from project to project if you work with similar data types or methodologies so that data is stored in similar ways across your projects.
