Standard naming conventions for electronic records digital. Develop a naming convention based on elements that are important to. File naming and structure research data management at. Automated document management naming standards filehold. Information about file naming conventions above was gathered from the. While it may look easier to read, it creates other problems, for example, readers seeing two file names instead of one. Vocabulary choose a standard vocabulary for file names so that everyone uses a common language.
For file naming ideas, see the family curators tips for easy digital filenaming to organize digital files. Good file naming conventions for document management. Keep file names short, meaningful and easily understandable to others. Adopting good file naming conventions can help ensure that files will work with different operating systems and disk formats, such as windows, linux, mac os x and unix. This document is intended to provide a common set of rules to apply to the naming of electronic records. Speed up your workflow with good file naming practices. Descriptive file names are an important part of organizing, sharing, and keeping track of data files.
The file system determines the maximum length of a file name, file path i. The purpose of organizing an agencys electronic records is to enable accessibility. While they arent the most exciting part of your creative project management and workflow, having thoughtfully constructed and. Tip sheet 6 naming conventions for electronic files and. Common operating systems such as microsoft windows, macintosh os, and linuxunix support different file systems. Best practices for filenaming digital preservation. The following file naming convention incorporates best practices in electronic records management and information technology.
Nov 08, 2016 it will also maintain version control over the documents. Download best practices for naming electronic records. Best practices for naming your computer files that will enable you to better track your. This video, created by the university of british columbias records management office, introduces naming conventions for electronic records. A naming convention is a common set of rules or guidelines to apply to the naming of electronic records. Use a dash or underscore instead of a space, and begin dates with the year. Filing and naming electronic records filing and naming documents. How to organize hr files in an electronic document. A basic system is to set up some intelligence into the name of the file. The following filenaming convention incorporates best practices in electronic records management and information technology.
It empowers people new to the content to navigate files more easily, makes searching and finding documents easier by. You should be consistent and descriptive in naming and organizing files so that it is obvious where to find specific data and what the files contain. File naming conventions references list and examples exadox. File naming conventions can be applied to files and folders on network drives, as part of. Nov 03, 2015 below is an example of a naming convention. Avoid spaces dont use blank spaces, dashes, punctuation or special characters in file names. The guidance should be followed by all employees and any other. Oct 22, 2018 when i talk about file naming conventions, im not limiting the definition of the word file to source footage files coming out of a camera. Oct 17, 2017 this video, created by the university of british columbias records management office, introduces naming conventions for electronic records.
Add the date into to the end of the file name if its important to sort by name. Develop a naming convention based on elements that are important to the project. Best practices for filenaming digital preservation education. Using a naming convention can help make searching for and finding documents easier and more efficient. It is useful if your department agrees on the following elements of a file name. Guidelines around the organization and file naming of electronic records should be well documented for your agency to enable employees to locate and manage the files well into the future. Its important to look at the project as a whole, including the names of folders, media drives, project files, bins, sequences, exports, and archival material. While document and folder names may suggest content, use of dates or numbers in the names can help to graphically organize them on the display. This document explores the general characteristics of records, how records are used and referenced, and the file naming rules that should be applied to all electronic records. Help teach these 10 best practices and find some of your own that will make not just your life.
Make implementing good file and folder naming conventions a part of your business and your life. Electronic file naming should support both retrieval and record life cycle management for electronic files that are retained on a shared drive. It will also maintain version control over the documents. Convention criteria can be customized for your specific needs, but overall idea is to have. Easy digital filenaming to organize genealogy files the. Good file naming conventions can assist with finding data and understanding the content in files. Jul 21, 2016 a consistent and descriptive file naming convention serves many purposes, often related to branding, information management, and usability.
Digitization program digital imaging best practices version 2. There are many benefits to the standardization of file names. File names are the names that are listed in the file directory and that users give to new files when they save them for the first time. Seven tips for creating a useful file naming protocol and. Naming the documents after clients or projects makes them that bit easier to find. The average intake processing time is 12 business days after plans are submitted.
Written by the records management section at the university of edinburgh, this document provides a common set of rules to apply to the naming of electronic records. Add the year in front of the file name if its important to sort by year. The importance of naming conventions for project management. A file name is a principal identifier of a file good file names provide useful clues to the content, status and version of a file, uniquely identify a file and help in classifying and sorting files. Filing and naming electronic records filing and naming. This document provides best practices for the naming of files and may be used to create a file naming policy to be distributed to all staff members. While they arent the most exciting part of your creative project management and workflow, having thoughtfully constructed and consistently applied naming conventions are crucial to your process. Other documents or attachments that are submitted after plan approval must be in a pdf file and follow the file naming convention outlined in appendix a.
Standard naming conventions for electronic records. Naming conventions for electronic records library services ucl. Naming standards are favored by records managers as they keep the file names consistent. Lets take a moment to talk about naming conventions for your projects and campaigns.
Punctuation decide on conventions for if and when to use punctuation symbols, capitals, hyphens and spaces. The secret to successful naming conventions best practices for building naming conventions. Best practices for file naming include being consistent and descriptive in your file and folder names. Two important starting points for your file naming strategy are.
Naming documents in a logical and intuitive way ensures that your team and collaborators can discover, manage and access documents when needed. Anyone who wants to file a large amount of paper or electronic files into ordered folders quickly and efficiently will find this intelligent software to. Naming conventions for electronic documents record nations. If an electronic document management system is not in your plans, then it is very important to set up a good naming convention for each document. Electronic records management guidelines file naming summary. Naming conventions for electronic documents make them easier to find. Is it time to consider an electronic document management system. File names should be short but descriptive documents constitute the foundation for the proper management of your. The overall goal of intentional file naming is to increase readability in file names. File names that reflect the file content also facilitate searching and discovering. Anyone who wants to file a large amount of paper or electronic files into ordered folders quickly and efficiently will find this intelligent software to be a major ally. In an electronic document management system, this means using tools like access controls andor passwords to ensure that only approved individuals have access to the digital folders containing sensitive information. When draft documents are sent out for revision, they should return carrying additional information to identify the person who has made the changes.
Electronic documentation file naming conventions when submitting your application to council, the following file naming conventions apply to all electronic documents, including plans and application forms. This document explores the general characteristics of records, how records are used and referenced, and the filenaming rules that should be applied to all electronic records. A set of rules to follow to enable users to browse file names more effectively and. Aug 22, 2017 adopting good file naming conventions can help ensure that files will work with different operating systems and disk formats, such as windows, linux, mac os x and unix. Aug 22, 2019 in an electronic document management system, this means using tools like access controls andor passwords to ensure that only approved individuals have access to the digital folders containing sensitive information. Apr 25, 2019 make implementing good file and folder naming conventions a part of your business and your life. Oct 18, 2011 naming the documents after clients or projects makes them that bit easier to find. Best practices for file naming menu how you organize and name your files will have a big impact on your ability to find those files later and to understand what they contain. By limiting potential exposure to sensitive information, you can protect your organization from inadvertently making decisions. Ideal for freelancers, microbusinesses and sme, irismart file will help you carry out long, slow everyday administrative tasks quicker than ever before. Document naming control allows administrators to quickly define and build unique document naming standards for different types of documents that are added, or checked into, the document management software by end users. When naming documents, special characters such as plus signs, braces, brackets, parentheses, etc.
Electronic records management guidelines, file naming. Having a uniform naming convention is important for organizations who deal with large quantities of files. In the world of electronic records, the records file name provides metadata that places the record in context with other records, records series, and records retention schedules. Folder naming conventions folder naming conventions provide all information within the system with a coherent context and logical frame of reference. Decide on a file naming convention to use whenever you create a document. This software wizard comes with readybuilt file naming conventions that can be. Naming standards are favored by records managers as.
A record that cant be found and easily identified is a useless file. In the world of electronic records, the records file name provides metadata that. Aug 02, 2019 descriptive file names are an important part of organizing, sharing, and keeping track of data files. A consistent and descriptive file naming convention serves many purposes, often related to branding, information management, and usability. For sequential numbering, use leading zeros to ensure files sort properly.
How to organize computer files electronic file management tips. File names are to match the document requirements listed in the relevant checklist. Computer operating and file systems vary in the file and folder naming conventions that they support. The conventions are primarily intended for use with windowsbased software and documents such as wordprocessed documents, spreadsheets, presentations, emails and project plans. Use a simple file name beginning with the name, date, and event. File naming is also an important consideration when transferring files via the internet, where it may not be evident what computer platform was used when the files were. Feb 18, 2019 make finding electronic records easier. File and folder naming conventions consistent content. The conventions are primarily intended for use with windows based software and documents such as wordprocessed documents, spreadsheets, presentations, emails and project plans. The guidance has been developed primarily for naming electronic documents, but the general rules within it should be followed when naming all documents, irrespective of their format or where they are stored. File and folder naming conventions consistent content and.
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