Love your Data! Kickstarting Data Organization with a Dedicated Folder Template

Wilbrandt, Jeanne

doi:10.5281/zenodo.17106008

Love your Data! Kickstarting Data Organization with a Dedicated Folder Template

Wilbrandt, Jeanne

Publisher: Zenodo
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17106008
Repository: zenodo.org
Language: en

Abstract

Context This presentation was given on 2025-09-12 in the context of the 117th annual meeting of the German Zoological Society (DZG) 2025 in Berlin. Abstract It is essential for researchers to create findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) data and metadata. To achieve this, effective research data management (RDM) is crucial -- as increasingly acknowledged by policies and funders. FAIRness and good management of research (meta)data hinge upon being organised and documented in an understandable manner, which includes consciously storing files in a clear folder structure. It is a good idea to establish a sensible folder structure early in a project, however little knowledge about upcoming needs and potential struggles often thwart especially junior researchers from deliberate planning. Here, ready-made templates can provide a standardized starting structure, saving time and resources that would usually be required to lay out and expand or restructure a folder structure as a (thesis) project unfolds. We recently developed* a folder structure template (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.15835125) that comprehensively covers the storage needs of early career researchers in the life sciences beyond data production for a single work package; i.e., comprising space for administrative documents, presentations, etc. Additionally, the template is enriched with RDM best practice guidance and metadata recording prototypes to promote informed, sustainable RDM habits. This talk will cover the basics of RDM -- repetition never hurts -- and present our folder structure template and its features. It aims to encourage researchers, students, and PIs to talk about RDM, review their habits, and collectively shift academic culture towards more love for data. * Demerdash, Dockhorn & Wilbrandt (in rev.) Data Organization Made Easy: Comprehensive Folder Structure Template for Early Career Life/Natural Science Researchers Training Information Learning Goals Know Research Data Management (RDM) goals and general considerations Know where to look for RDM tools, resources, and help Be aware that the Folder Structure Template (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.15835125) exists Duration 20 min Target Audience Life Science researchers of all career stages Prerequisites None Tools For the presenter: Ability to play video with audio Upload Content File Description Format 2025-09-12_DZG_FolderStructure.key Presentation slides .key 2025-09-12_DZG_FolderStructure.pdf Presentation slides .pdf

Full text

Jeanne Wilbrandt Love your Data! 2025-09-12 117th DZG Meeting Berlin KICKSTARTING DATA ORGANIZATION WITH A DEDICATED FOLDER TEMPLATE Dr. Jeanne Wilbrandt — Data Steward — [email protected] 2 ORIENTATION 1. Tiny RDM Refresh 2. Short Reminders for Project starts 3.Kickstart: Folder Structure RDM — Research Data Management Bonus Links Dr. Jeanne Wilbrandt — Data Steward — [email protected] 3 RESEARCH DATA MANAGEMENT? Jeanne Wilbrandt — Data Steward — [email protected] RESEARCH DATA MANAGEMENT 4 "Research data management (RDM) [has] the common goal of making the data ‣accessible, ‣reusable and ‣verifiable in the long term and independent of particular people." forschungsdaten.info FAIR Wilkinson et al. (2016), DOI: 10.1038/sdata.2016.18 Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable Jeanne Wilbrandt — Data Steward — [email protected] COMMON SITUATION? 5 Data Sharing and Management SNAFU in 3 Short Acts by NYU Health Sciences Library (https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.8061722.v1) (How) Can I use your data? Jeanne Wilbrandt — Data Steward — [email protected] 6 Jeanne Wilbrandt — Data Steward — [email protected] RDM GOALS & BENEFITS 7 Data should be… … understandable! ‣Tidy content ‣Documented and described ‣Organized files Best Practices help… … to work smarter! ‣Find your files fast ‣Ease collaboration ‣Match journal / repository guidelines Supported by Best Practices Implemented in tools Slides: RDM Tools Dr. Jeanne Wilbrandt — Data Steward — [email protected] 8 3 SHORT STARTER REMINDERS Dr. Jeanne Wilbrandt — Data Steward — [email protected] 1. CREATE TIDY CONTENT 9 https://openscapes.org/blog/2020-10-12-tidy-data/ Tidy Data in Spreadsheets ✓Rectangular & atomic ‣One column for one variable ‣One row for one observation ‣One cell per value ✓Harmoniously coded (e.g., dates, abbreviations, decimals, missing data) ✓Ready for analysis and export Data Dictionary ✓Explains column names and allowed content 10 Simple Rules for Digital Data Storage How to make a Data Dictionary Dr. Jeanne Wilbrandt — Data Steward — [email protected] METADATA READMES (M_…) 16 Demerdash, Dockhorn & Wilbrandt (in rev.) README Template ‣12 M_READMEs ‣Ready to fill ‣Some with examples Dr. Jeanne Wilbrandt — Data Steward — [email protected] 17 INSIDE 01_DOCUMENTS Demerdash, Dockhorn & Wilbrandt (in rev.) Dr. Jeanne Wilbrandt — Data Steward — [email protected] 18 ≈ INSIDE 02_PROJECTS Demerdash, Dockhorn & Wilbrandt (in rev.) ‣6 zipped folders ‣Quickly reuse standard structure Dr. Jeanne Wilbrandt — Data Steward — [email protected] 19 = = INSIDE 03_PRESENTATIONS Demerdash, Dockhorn & Wilbrandt (in rev.) Dr. Jeanne Wilbrandt — Data Steward — [email protected] 20 ≈ INSIDE 04_PUBLICATIONS Demerdash, Dockhorn & Wilbrandt (in rev.) Dr. Jeanne Wilbrandt — Data Steward — [email protected] 21 INSIDE 05_THESIS Demerdash, Dockhorn & Wilbrandt (in rev.) Dr. Jeanne Wilbrandt — Data Steward — [email protected] WHY THIS TEMPLATE? 22 Helps to ‣Start from something ‣Sort and find all kinds of files ‣Produce publication-ready, FAIR enough data ‣Identify relevant resources Encourage to ‣Mix & match: Adapt to your needs ‣Use as inspiration ‣Adopt habits that suit your work ‣Talk with your peers Dr. Jeanne Wilbrandt — Data Steward — [email protected] A SMALL SURVEY 23 Your status, problems, and impression of the folder structure template? ‣Please follow the QR-code: https://cloud.leibniz-fli.de/apps/forms/ s/Q7dQob5Cm3mTE6pLKZe32j6b Responses are anonymous Jeanne Wilbrandt — Data Steward — [email protected] 24 OUTRO Document! Document! Document! And a cookie! Jeanne Wilbrandt — Data Steward — [email protected] RDM IS HELPFUL 25 Documentation Conventions and Standards Labelling File organization Metadata Backups RDM Benefits hand-over and publication! Easier when planned! Consider: ‣What would you like to see? ‣Start early ‣Produce FAIR enough data