TECH TIPS

Digital File Storage - Best Practices

The following suggestions are intended to help ABA staff develop, implement and follow a digital filing system. Think of organizing files on your computer in the same way you might manage paper files - by topic, with clearly labeled names.

You might consider organizing your digital files chronologically or alphabetically. Share your own methods with others in your office. The more standardized your methodology, the easier it will be for you and others to locate documents. If you have tips of your own, feel free to share them!

Documents

• Always name your document something that is brief, but descriptive of the content contained therein. A great example is simply using the title of the document as the file name.
• For files that are similar, try to keep the names consistent. This is particularly helpful for important documents like travel reimbursement forms, timesheets, invoices, etc. Once you have a naming convention you are comfortable with, use it consistently.
• Organize your files in folders that are broad in scope, with subfolders that narrow your topics.  For example, a folder named “campaigns” or “events” helps organize all files related to those activities.  Subfolders can be added to contain more specific events/campaigns. For example, “winter luncheon” and “spring social.”
• For annual documents, or documents that see regular revision, consider including a date in the name. For example, “Financial Report Q1 2014.doc”or “parking citation form 4-25-14.pdf.” However, avoid saving multiple versions of the same document, if possible, to avoid later confusion.
• Store your documents in the proper file right away. It is good practice to file your documents immediately.
• Experiment with your folder’s organizational options. For example, files within a folder can be organized chronologically, alphabetically, by size, type, etc.

Image Files

• Organize your image files together within folders that describe the event, location, or item photographed - “Annual Report 2014 Photos,” for example.
• After a photo has been edited, consider adding qualifiers to the name to describe the alteration. For example, the original file might be named “DSC1087.jpg,” while a cropped version might be named “DSC1087_crop.jpg,” and an image that has been reduced in size might be named “DSC1087_small.jpg.”
• Ensure that your extension is consistent with the correct file type. If an image is missing its “.jpg” extension, the image may not display in certain web browsers.

Following these conventions will make it easier to find the file or files you are looking for, help communicate to your audience (in the case of web documents) the content of the files, and assist screen-reading software for blind or disabled viewers.

Try to collaborate so that the entire office is consistent in its naming conventions. This will help coworkers locate documents when the document owner is unavailable.