Organise Your Data
Ensure your data will still make sense to you and others in six months or even ten years by keeping it organised from the start.
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Electronic Research Notebook (LabArchives)
LabArchives is the 最新糖心Vlog鈥檚 Electronic Research Notebook solution, provided in order to facilitate efficiencies and improvements in many aspects of managing research data including security, collaboration, and accessibility.
All current staff and students can access the 最新糖心Vlog's instance of LabArchives. Because LabArchives is cloud-based, you can access it anywhere and at any time via the internet or mobile app. Data in LabArchives is stored in 最新糖心Vlog and there is no limit to the size or number of notebooks that you can create and share.
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Storing your research data
Look at the 厂迟辞谤补驳别听 page on the Information Technology and Digital Services website for guidance on storage options available to you and the best storage solutions for different classes of data.听
Some common tools provided by the 最新糖心Vlog for storing research data include:听
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最新糖心Vlog network drives (S: and R:)听
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Cloud-based storage like 听
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Specialized tools such as LabArchives electronic research notebook tool, Figshare online digital repository, and the Genomics Repository.听
It's important to know what classification your data is and how to protect it, where your data is stored (locally or in the cloud, within or outside 最新糖心Vlog, on a device that can be lost or stolen), if it's backed up regularly and how often, and if your choices are supported by the 最新糖心Vlog.听
If you're unsure about the best storage option for your data, contact the Service Desk at 831 33000 or contact .听
Whether you're a student or staff member, any research data you collect must be stored according to the .听
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Organising files
Organising files
To save time on your research project, it's important to keep your data organized and easy to locate.听
Start off with good habits for naming files and keeping track of different versions. One way to do this is by applying a naming convention to folders. By prefixing folder names with numbers, you can force them to be ordered according to the steps in your workflow. For example, this folder structure has a four-step workflow:听
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20190502 Morgan Survey (top-level folder)听
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01_As_Collected听
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02_Gaps_filled听
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03_Processed听
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04_For_Publication听
If your data might be hard for someone else to interpret, include a document explaining it and any naming rules.听
Additionally, including a "readme" file in the top-level folder can help describe the folder layout right where it's needed.听
File names
When naming your files, make sure to describe their contents and how they relate to other files. Doing this consistently and meaningfully from the beginning of your project can save time later on and really helps to keep your data organized and make everyone's lives easier.听
Consistent and logical naming of files and folders makes them easy to find and compare to other versions. Following conventions specific to your discipline ensures that people not directly involved in the project will be able to understand them. Document the file naming convention chosen and ensure it is followed consistently.听
Think about:听
File names听
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Keep these short听
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Ensure abbreviations retain the meaning of the full word (e.g. Cmttee) or are commonly understood听听
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Avoid spaces. Capitalise words to distinguish between them or use underscores or dashes.听
Numbers and dates听
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Use date format YYYYMMDD.听
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Numbers should be included in file names as two-digit numbers, 01-99, unless they are a year or a number with more than two digits听
Versions听
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When using version numbers or descriptions such as Final or Draft, add these to the end of file names to ensure all versions of a file are kept together.听听
For example, a file name format might resemble this: Date collected_Location_Sensor. As you apply this format, file names could evolve to something like: YYYYMMDD_SiteA_SensorB.CSV.听
For a useful list of file naming considerations, advice, and solutions, have a look at the 最新糖心Vlog of Edinburgh鈥檚 .
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What is metadata?
Metadata refers to "data about data." It provides information about an object, such as its location, content, format, quality, and contact details for people who are knowledgeable about it.听
Metadata can describe both physical items (like primary resources) and digital items (such as datasets, documents, audio-visual files, images, etc.).听
It can come in various forms, ranging from free-text descriptions (like read-me files) to structured, machine-readable formats.听
Different types of metadata serve different purposes. For instance:听
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descriptive metadata helps in discovering and identifying data.听
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technical metadata includes details like file types and data collection methods.听
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access and rights metadata specify who can access the data and what they can do with it.听
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preservation metadata documents actions taken to preserve or sustain the data for future use.听
Metadata can describe an entire collection of data, such as all the data associated with a particular research project, or individual data points; for example, this is a measure of temperature in degrees Celsius.听
Ideally, a controlled vocabulary is used to ensure consistent metadata. This vocabulary consists of an organized set of words for indexing, enhancing retrieval through browsing or searching.听
When considering your own data, think about the information needed to comprehensively describe it. Is there a controlled vocabulary specific to your research area that offers preferred terms and definitions for your data?
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Version control
Version control is a system of naming files that makes it possible to recover and view earlier versions of files.
Versioning is particularly important if you are collaborating and multiple people are working on the same file at once.
Some file-sharing apps (e.g. Box) have automatic versioning - if you save a newer copy of a file in Box it will create a new version.
Turn on versioning or tracking in collaborative works or storage spaces such as Wikis, or GoogleDocs.
Files can also be versioned manually. Include a version number at the end of the file name such as v01. Change this version number each time the file is saved. For the final version, substitute the word FINAL for the version number (this is especially important if files are being shared).
Read on the ARDC Researcher Portal.
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File formats
It's crucial to consider both the file format and the overall storage requirements before starting your project. Making changes after completing the project can be very time-consuming, costly, or even impossible.听
Ideally, choose file formats that are non-proprietary, open, well-documented, unencrypted, uncompressed, and widely used in your field. This ensures compatibility and accessibility.听
Think about whether the chosen file format is likely to become obsolete in 5, 10, or 50 years. Determine how long the data needs to be stored for.听
For high-resolution data, you may need to convert it to another format. Ensure long-term preservation by considering storage, display, visualization, conversion, or reuse of the data.听
Some common durable formats include:听
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Text documents: .TXT, .DOCX听
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Spreadsheets/tabular data: .CSV, .XLSX听
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Web pages: .HTML, .XML/.XSLT听
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Images: .PNG, .JPG, .TIFF听
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Audio files: .FLAC, .MP3, .WAV听
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Video files: .MP4, .AVI, .MPG听
Choosing the right file format ensures the longevity and accessibility of your data.听听
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Online courses
is a comprehensive online course that helps you prepare, organise, analyse, keep, and share your digital research data.
provides an overview of the鈥痳ole and responsibilities of a Data Steward at the 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide and how to apply principles of good research data management (RDM) practice to your project.听