Data set titles should be as descriptive as possible. These data sets may be accessed many years in the future by people who will be unaware of the details of the project. Data set titles should contain the type of data and other information such as the date range, the location, and the instrument used.
Examples of bad titles are:
Some great titles are:
In order for others to use your data, they must fully understand the contents of the data set, including the parameter names, units of measure, formats, and definitions of coded values. Parameters, units, and other coded values may be required to follow certain naming standards as defined in experiment plans and the destination archive.
File names should reflect the contents of the file and include enough information to uniquely identify the data file. File names may contain information such as
Select a consistent format that can be read well into the future and is independent of changes in applications. If your data collection process used proprietary file formats, converting those files into a stable, well-documented, and non-proprietary format to maximize others' abilities to use and build upon your data.
Avoid really long file titles-aim for no more than 64 characters.
Examples of bad file names:
Good file name examples:
• Howland_small_stem_biometry_2010.csv
From data set NACP New England and Sierra National Forests Biophysical Measurements: 2008-2010
Instead of "data May2011" use "data_May2011" or "data-May2011"
Julie Chen
Contact Info
Julie Chen, Librarian
Sorrells Engineering & Science Library, Wean Hall
412-268-6116
EPP pages created by Sue Collins, maintained by Julie Chen