Organization of Digital Records
All records, regardless of format, need to be organized in order to be useful. File cabinets, file folders, and folder labels are all tools to organize paper documents. Similarly, file names, directories and sub-directories are tools to organize digital records. Like the file cabinet, an organized directory structure can present a hierarchy of folders and sub-folders that logically organize files by content, relationships, purpose, and originator. The benefits of good organization include better file retrieval, greater efficiency, and the need for less storage space through the identification and routine purging of non-essential records.
Best Practice
It is recommended that each university unit develop standards for digital directory and file naming conventions. Designing a file structure builds upon the initial outlining of record types and systems.