Data management

DocLing 2016David Nathan

Two most valuable strategies

design and use a filename system work out (‘model’) your basic units of documentation

and the relationships between them

- if you get these right, it will do the “heavy lifting” of your data management strategy- data and metadata are intertwined, points in a spectrum rather than different things

Three most important qualities

consistency documentation of conventions, structures, methods machine readability

“computer programs can act on data in terms of its proper structures and categories” an example

Data management

understand and model the data (units, relationships) use appropriate data structure methods – in both file

contents and organisation use appropriate and conventional data encoding

methods (e.g. Unicode) be explicit and consistent plan for flow of data, working with others, across

different systems document steps, decisions, conventions, structures think ahead to archiving

Managing data in your computer

design a well-organised system of folders so that you can always find your stuff according to what it is, not: where the software decided to put it what the software decided to call it when/where you last used it what someone else called it

File structures and names

design folder structure as a logical hierarchy that suits your goals, content and work style have documentary materials within one

overall directory (e.g. for backup) make directories for relevant categories,

e.g. sessions, media types, dates design it so that you will always be able to

find things you may need to restructure at different

points in your project, e.g. move from date-based to session-based structures

Designing a file/folder structure

it should relate to reality locations should make sense, so you (and

others) will know where to look for things (where do you keep your passport; favourite cup?)

the best location is “the place that one would naturally look to find it”

3 methods of linking or ‘bunding’ related files

tree of distinguishing folder names

one folder with distinguishing filenames

one folder with numerical filenames

… what else is needed?

On identifiers

real world objects are uniquely identified because they are physically unique - an unlabelled cassette is poorly identified

digital objects have no physical existence - they depend on identifiers that we give them

three types of identifiers: semantic keys relative

On identifiers

semantic, e.g. Nelson Mandela The Sound of Music SA_JA_Bongo_Palace_Land Dispute Trial_015_29-04-

2010.wav *

* SA_JA_Bongo_Palace_Land Dispute Trial_015_29-04-2010.wav

On identifiers

keys (disambiguators), e.g. 1137204 (a student number) 0803 211 6148 (a telephone number) p12893fh23.pdf (some system's reference

number)

On identifiers

relative, e.g. 67 High Street the secretary index.html metadata.xls

On identifiers

your collection may have a mix of these but it is important to be aware of their differences and limitations, for example: semantic identifiers: invite name clashes keys: a program or process might depend on the

identifier to work properly relative identifiers: if you move them, you probably

change or destroy their meaning

Digital objects and identities

a digital object’s identity includes its location a file’s full identity = path + filename the path is a representation of the volume

and the directory (folder) hierarchy if the full identity is unambiguous then

everything can be fine, compare: c:\\dogs\spaniels\rover.jpg c:\\cars\british\rover.jpg

or lectures\syntax\2013-02-12\notes.doc

Digital objects and identities

but semantic identifiers are potentially ‘dangerous’, because just adding more chunks to disambiguate them will not work: 2015\rover.jpg 2015\white_rover.jpg

therefore, domains that do not offer semantic uniqueness may need identifiers which are either keys, or relative identifiers

And now to file names

(having said all that) filenames are only filenames, and do not necessarily

provide information common mistaken assumptions:

that a filename “dp_verbs_39.wav” means there is an entity “dp_verbs_39”

that files are logically linked just by sharing some part of their filenames- these are only true if your system ensures it (and if you state it explicitly)

File naming

filenames that are unsystematic or are non-standard will cause problems, eventually

unsystematic file naming might be (just) OK if you already have many files you have a working method that already does

everything you need to do your “system” will do everything you need to do in

the future

Manage file names from the start

a new file: don’t just accept the default filename or

location suggested by the application when you first save the file

put it where it belongs, immediately. If necessary, create the place (directory/path) where it belongs

name it according to your naming system! if you have an inventory/index of files, add

an entry for the new file

Filename rules

all filenames should have correct extensions each filename should have only one ".", before the

extension use only ASCII characters (US keyboard) use only letters, numbers, hyphens (-) and underscores

(_) keep filenames short, just long enough to contain the

necessary identifier - don't fill them up with lots of information about the content (that is metadata!)

(advised) use only lower case letters

How about these file names?1. ready.audio.wav2. ReAlLyhArDtOReAd.txt3. éclair.jpg4. e'clair.jpg5. french-cake.jpeg6. french-cake.jaypeg7. -2011.psd8. lexicon-master9. ɘɫIɲʰ.eaf10. ice cream.doc11. Obama.TXT12.オバマ .txt

Make filenames sortable

make filenames usefully sortable:

20100119lecture.doc 20100203lecture.doc

gr_transcription_1.txtgr_transcription_12.txtgr_transcription_5.txt gr_transcription_9.txt

gr_transcription_001.txtgr_transcription_005.txtgr_transcription_009.txtgr_transcription_012.txt

Associating files

you can make resources sortable together by giving them the same filename root (the part before the extension), or part of the root:

document your conventions and system if you do this

gr_reefs.wavgr_reefs.eafgr_reefs.txt

paaka_photo001.jpgpaaka_photo002.jpgpaaka_txt_conv203.wavpaaka_txt_conv203.eafpaaka_txt_lex.doc

Avoid metadata in filenames

avoid putting metadata into filenames. A filename is an identifier, not a data container

better to use a simple (semantic) filename or a key (i.e. meaningless) filename, and then create a metadata table to contain all the relevant information

a table can properly express all the information, contain links etc, and is extensible for further metadata

Avoid metadata in filenames

e.g. Paaka_Reefs_Dan_BH_3Oct97.wav better:

paaka_063.wavplus

paaka_063.txt

language topic speaker location datePaakantyi Reefs at

MutawintyiDan Herbert

Broken Hill 1997-10-03

paaka_063.txt

A filenaming system

carefully design a filename system for your data and document the system so that somebody else can understand it

one documenter’s new system:

aaa_bb_cc_yyyy-mm-dd_nnn.wav

A filenaming system

aaa_bb_cc_yyyy-mm-dd_nnn.wavaaa = village codebb = (main) speaker codecc = genre/event codeyyyy-mm-dd = date (why this order?)nnn = optional number (e.g. 001).wav = correct extension for file content type

Documenting the filename system

describe the system- how would you describe it?- where would you put the description?

document the codes – this is probably part of your metadata

On changing file names

decide if it’s possible, benefits and side effects (e.g. loss of links in ELAN files)

design a system first don’t change names in situ – copy data set and

gradually migrate it to your new system document file name changes if possible, automate or copy and paste filenames if possible, use machine processes, e.g. system

filename listings, XLS formulas

Different types of metadata

there are many types of metadata different types of materials may have different

metadata eg metadata for photos and videos may have

technical parameters, lists of people appearing e.g. metadata for transcriptions may have date,

version, who transcribed, notes on progress

Meta-documentation

you should keep an updated description of the methods, conventions, abbreviations you use

.. so somebody could fully understand (and use) your data and methods in your absence

Your collection catalogue

first, define your collection/corpus/project as some coherent (logical) set of materials

your collection catalogue/inventory/index is a type of metadata this should list and describe all files in your

collection it usually contains the categories of information

that are relevant for many files

Your collection catalogue

you could have one large catalogue that covers every file, or

you could have a catalogue that is subdivided according to types of files, and/or groups of resources

there is no “one size fits all” solution!

Making an “active” catalogue

this is not necessary, but may be useful if you use a spreadsheet, you can embed links to

actual files to make using your collection easier Excel formula

=hyperlink(address, display-text) useful methods for getting file listings

“Open command window here” Win 7: SHIFT+right-click

Karen’s Directory Printer

My cells have multiple values!

example: speakers in a recording speakers are probably not ‘atomic’ – they have

other attributes create a separate “speakers” sheet give each speaker an ID (number or initials) use the IDs in the original sheet, with delimiter

(implements one to many) (better) make another sheet to associate recordings

with speakers (implements many to many)

Data/file versions

need to distinguish or keep versions depends on purposes

by suffixing filename, eg fugu1.txt

fugu2.txt or fugu_1.txt

fugu_2.txt which of the above methods is better?

Data/file versions

fugu_14022013.txtfugu_20130214.txt14022013_fugu.txt20130214_fugu.txt

which of the above would be best?

Managing data/file versions

do you need to keep every version? it may be OK to keep “original” plus current

if information is regularly updated, corrected, you can keep 1 filename and put dates in the document itself, or record dates in a catalogue/metadata file

however, a series of files may have inherent value, e.g. your transcriptions/annotations, as your understanding and analysis changes, so date and keep files use different tiers in ELAN?

Character encoding

if your document contains anything other than those on a US keyboard, use UTF character encoding

how can I tell if characters in my MS Word document are encoded as UTF8? save as plain text and check options copy into plain text editor such as

Notepad++

Character encoding, useful tools

Notepad++ http://notepad-plus-plus.org/ for Mac, use: TextWrangler http://www.barebones.com/products/textwrangler/

SIL ViewGlyph http://scripts.sil.org/cms/scripts/page.php?item_id=ViewGlyph_home

BabelMap http://www.babelstone.co.uk/software/babelmap.html

TypeIt (view and write IPA) http://ipa.typeit.org/full/

browsers such as Firefox and Chrome are useful for checking and reporting character encoding

Transferring data

ensure your computer is not a “walled garden” you can use

drives/devices (but avoid DVDs!!) email upload to website (where available) send links “cloud” e.g. Carbonite, Dropbox, collaboration

software

some of these could be considered backup but not true archiving

Sharing

can we work in a shared, collaborative space? Google Docs Dropbox blogs, Tumblr, wikis etc can have shared

“authors”, and contributors with particular roles

aalso there is dedicated collaboration software (usually $$$)

Exercise - now it’s your turn!

Practical exercise for DocLing 2016 Data management & archiving Work in pairs Go to

http://www.el-training.org/courses/docling/2016/exercise/

Download the file, unzip it, and place it in a working folder • exercise.zip

This is dummy data - the content is not important for the exercise

Look through all the files to see what files are present Find the metadata file Do the following:

identify the problems and errors with the data set work out strategies for dealing with the problems work out strategies for documenting the changes you

make fix the problems and errors (as much as possible) add columns to the metadata for date and location modify the metadata to create links to the audio files