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File Naming Convention

Introduction

To improve accessibility and organization, it’s recommended to create a clear and consistent file naming convention. A file naming convention is a structured method for labeling files so that their contents and relationships to other files are easy to understand. Using consistent naming makes it easier to manage your files and helps collaborators navigate shared folders more efficiently.

Examples: Files without employing a naming convention:

  • test_data_25.csv
  • BIO DATA.csv
  • Oxygen Optode Calculations-2.xls
  • Second_test.txt

Files with a naming convention:

  • test_data_sample_20250404.csv
  • bio_data_collection_20250404.csv
  • oxygen_optode_calc_v02_20250404.xls
  • test_run_2_20250404.txt

How to define your own FNC

There is no single file naming convention (FNC) that fits all projects or datasets. However, you can follow general best practices to design an effective convention that suits your specific needs.

For more guidance on what to follow or avoid when naming files, refer to this helpful article: Ten Rules for Best Practice File Naming

Additional resources

How to tidy up your data: Tidy Data