Set file naming conventions

A search for "interview_final" returns 3 files. One is from last month, one from six months ago, and one nobody can date. That's a common outcome when a team starts a research project without agreeing on how to name files.

A file naming convention is a shared framework that describes what each file contains just from its title. Good file names typically include:

• Project name
• Session date in a consistent format like YYYYMMDD
• Participant number
• Version indicator such as v01 or v02.

For example, a file named checkout-flow_20240315_P04_v01 tells anyone on the team exactly what the file contains without opening it.

The convention matters most on collaborative projects. One researcher using hyphens, another using underscores, and a third adding spaces creates separate naming patterns that a search won't reconcile. Files get missed, duplicated, or overwritten.

The fix is simple: agree on the convention before data collection starts, write it down in a short shared document, and make it accessible to everyone on the team throughout the project. Establishing it after files already exist means renaming everything retroactively, which is time-consuming and error-prone.