There are different ways on how to manage files in the Organizational Unit Repositories and one way is to organize the file and folder names. This will enable ease of navigation between folders and files, as well as, quick familiarization of the folder structure among the group members working on the same repository.

The following are some of the repository naming recommendations that can be applied to promote good practice:

1. Keep names short.

Filenames and folder names are ideally kept short but, informative enough for easy identification. Long names will not be an advantage as it is harder to read and it might cause errors if it exceeds the maximum path.

2. Apply consistent methods for naming.

The folder name can be the project name, personal name, date, document type, file status, place names, etc. Just stick to whichever naming scheme is more appropriate for the group. For example, if the files are saved by year and season folder, do the same for the rest of the other files.

The file name is most likely the experiment name or place name with date and season. The important thing in filename is not to have the same name for files in different locations but are under the same folder hierarchy.

If dates are used as the filename or folder name, use the dd-MMM-yyyy format.

3. Use common names.

The use of common names within the group is good as any group member can easily look for and identify the files.

4. Avoid using special characters.

There are special characters that should be avoided in filenames and folder names as those are not recognized by the system. These include the slash( / ), backslash( \ ), colon( : ), question mark( ? ), double quote( " ), greater than( > ), less than( < ) and pipe( | ) symbols.

5. Avoid using spaces.

Instead of spaces, try using underscore( _ ) or the hyphen( - ).

6. Use of abbreviations.

The abbreviations make the file names more descriptive. Like adding the word expt to the filenames which are related to experimental data e.g. expt_plantnutrient.xls.

7. Use of version number and document status.

Version number is important to keep track of the recent documents. Inclusion of the version number in a filename also helps in updating the group members about the progress of the document. The status indicates if the documents are drafts or final versions.