2.4.1 Naming best practices/recommendations

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The following list was prepared by Anne Thompson from the Records Management Section at the University of Edinburgh. Please remember that this are only recommendations, that won't apply for all documents/records. The secret is to make sure employees agree on some of this standards and are consistent with their use.

For examples for each of the tips, click on the description:

• Keep file names short, but meaningful. Links to an external site.
• Avoid unnecessary repetition and redundancy in file names and file paths. Links to an external site.
• Use capital letters to delimit words, spaces or underscores (select one of them and BE CONSISTENT). Links to an external site.
• When including a number in a file name always give it as a two-digit number, i.e. 01-99, unless it is a year or another number with more than two digits. Links to an external site.
• If using a date in the file name always state the date ‘back to front’, and use four digit years, two digit months and two digit days: YYYYMMDD or YYYYMM or YYYY or YYYY-YYYY. Links to an external site.
• Although it is best to avoid using personal information in the name of a file (see FIPPA module), if including a personal name in a file name give the family name first followed by the initials. Links to an external site. 
• Avoid using common words such as ‘draft’ or ‘letter’ at the start of file names, unless doing so will make it easier to retrieve the record. Links to an external site.
• Order the elements in a file name in the most appropriate way to retrieve the record. Links to an external site.
• The file names of records relating to recurring events should include the date and a description of the event, except where the inclusion of any of either of these elements would be incompatible with rule 2. Links to an external site.
• The file names of correspondence should include the name of the correspondent, an indication of the subject, the date of the correspondence and whether it is incoming or outgoing correspondence, except where the inclusion of any of these elements would be incompatible with rule 2. Links to an external site. * Be sure to consider FIPPA concerns.
• The version number of a record should be indicated in its file name by the inclusion of ‘V’ followed by the version number Links to an external site.
• Avoid using non-alphanumeric characters in file names. Links to an external site.

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