We expend a lot of energy, and money, to make sure that our data remains safe and secure. But how much time is wasted by double-clicking through those very high-quality hard disks, when you don’t know the name or location of the file you’re looking for? Discoverability is important!
How will you find your data in 5yrs time?
- Good directory structure;
- Good naming conventions.
How will your PI find your data after you’ve left the Institute?
- Good directory structure;
- Good naming conventions;
- Screenshots – can be a useful visual ‘map’ for someone unfamiliar with your complex directory structure.
- Read-me files – in certain directories, can provide explanatory information about what is nested within.
How will the the broader scientific community find your data?
- Community repositories (e.g. Flybase, Gene Expression Omnibus);
- General repositories (e.g. Apollo, Zenodo, Github);
- Extensive metadata – think of the search terms people will use to find your work, and enter as many keywords as you can when uploading your files.
Spend a little time just now and save yourself, and others, a lot of time in the future. Easy.
RDM @ SBS 