File Management 101: The OER

Have you been stuck searching for a key document 5 minutes before a deadline? Overwhelmed with hundreds of random folders? Learn how to manage your research files so you can find what you need with the File Management 101 OER. 

Why learn how to organise your files?

It seems so easy – just save a document, give it a name, and put it in a folder. It’s important, though, to plan out how you are going to manage the files that are part of your research project.

• What are you going to name them?
• How are you going to organise folders and subfolers?
• What if someone else needs to access some of your files to locate a document, and can’t understand your set up?
• What if you want to access your files a couple of years later and you can’t remember where you put something?

Organising your files using a consistent, logical structure will ensure you can always find what you need.

File management is also a key part of research data management planning. When you start a research project, you will need to plan out where you are going to store your research materials. This includes being able to locate those materials in the future, which requires well managed files. If you plan to practice open research and publish your files for others to access, then it makes sense to name these files consistently. 

The File Management 101 OER

The Library’s Digital Stewardship team developed an Open Educational Resource (OER) to guide you in good file management. OERs are free and open teaching materials – allowing anyone to use them.  

File Management 101 takes you through:

• Research data management: what it is, and why it’s important.
• File naming: the key principles for naming your files and how to set up a consistent naming system.
• Version control: how you can track changes made to a file or document.
• Directory structure: guidance for making hierarchical groups of folders to organise your work.
• What’s next: Other resources and courses on file management.

Access the File Management 101 OER here. 

Resources and contacts

If you are looking for more resources to help with your data management planning, consider:

• Completing the Managing Data @ Melbourne course, covering best practices for research data management.
• The Research Data Management System Finder, helping you choose what’s the best data management system for your project.
• The Digital Stewardship team’s page, providing information about data management, digital preservation and more. 
• The Open Scholarship website, helping you to make your research more open.
• Research Data Management enquiry, if you need advice or a consultation about your data management.  

Do you have any feedback on the OER? Contact the Digital Stewardship team via email to share your thoughts. 

Featured image credit: Multi colored folders piled up by Pixabay on Pixabay.