Organization of Data (and other Important Stuff)BY STEPHANIE HANSENSDSU PLANT SCIENCEFOR BMGSA OCTOBER 2, 2014

Why Do We Organize? 1. To Find our Data

2. To Find our Protocols

3. To Trace our Steps

4. To Find Errors

5. To Write a Paper/Presentation/Thesis/Dissertation

6. To Please the Boss/Supervisor/Granting Agency

7. To Keep our Sanity!!!!

Media Used To Organize?1. On Paper◦ Notebooks◦ Post-it’s◦ Sheetpaper◦ Napkins◦ Paper towels

2. Digitally◦ On Computer◦ Photographs/Scans◦ Text files◦ Excel◦ FASTA, etc.

WHAT Do We Organize? 1. Data – Observations

2. Dates

3. Locations

4. Varieties/Hybrids/Cell Lines/Specific Experimental Unit Details

5. Environmental Conditions

6. Equipment Used◦ Model Number, Brand, rpm, temperature, pressure, etc.

7. Media/Reagents Used◦ Concentration, Date Purchased, Company/Brand, etc.

Purpose of Overkill Goal: To Replicate EXACTLY what you did.

Equipment Varies

Reagents Vary from Company to Company

RECALLS HAPPEN!!

Trusting your memory 2 or 3 years from now after taking 6 (or 9) more classes, and changing your protocol twice (three times? Four? You’ll forget) WILL NOT WORK

You will NEVER REGRET writing everything down. EVER.

And PUT IT WHERE YOU CAN FIND IT. Don’t laugh, keep a spot or notebook where you put everything. Why write it down if you won’t be able to find it when you need it.

You WILL regret NOT, however. As will your advisor, who will hound you to track the information down incessantly until you figure it out. It is an unpleasant adventure best to be avoided.

How Do We Organize?? Each Individual is Different, but it’s OK to ask others who are veterans at the business and take ideas from them… Don’t be afraid to ask to take a peek into their notebook or ask how they arrange their data files.

Excel (or Other) File Names 1. File Name:

◦ By Project◦ By Location◦ By Date/Time of Observation/Collection Point◦ By Amount/Identifying Variable◦ Example: Au14Aux_071414_Chloro (Aurora, 2014, Auxin Project; data taken july 14, 2014; Chlorophyll)◦ Example 2: ISOMS_Hildreth_Soil_031114_2578 (ISO-MS data for Hildreth, for Soil samples, bill created

march 11, 2014, for the amount of $2578)◦ Example 3: xISOMS_Hildreth_Soil_031114_2578 (ISO-MS data for Hildreth, etc, except NOTICE THE “x,” this

indicates we sent the bill to accounting)

◦ x’s (or r’s, or v’s, or whatever) are excellent means to indicate if the data has been reviewed, sent, whatever; or to indicate if you printed the journal article off for hardcopy, or included it in your references…

Organizing Data Within an Excel File

1. Tabs by Date

2. Tabs by Subject

3. “Raw” data (before averaging, cleanup)

4. Cleaned up data

5. Summary of Data/Averages/Means (into a more meaningful set)

6. Stats Tab

Word Documents You are Revising

1. Remember to keep SOME of your older versions…. Trust me.

3. Need to keep track of who has seen it, and what version it is.

2. Main/Common Title, Date, Initials◦ Example: Introduction 050613 sh◦ And after sending it to the bosses: Introduction 050613 sh rev sac dc 051013

This indicates it was created by me on May 6, 2013, and revised by others on May 10, 2013

Folders By Projects/Years –

◦ Auxin 2014◦ Auxin 2013◦ Carbon Aurora 13◦ Carbon Aurora 14

By Subjects◦ Invoices◦ Soil Moisture◦ Hiring◦ Budgets◦ Thesis◦ ISO-MS

Backup, Backup, Backup… Backup your files/Computer every week/month/day…

Depends upon how much work/changes are being made to files

Keep in at least 2 spots, but date the backups…

Only work on the Primary Set of Data… If you work on multiple backups, it’s hard to Merge, or Find them to merge…

I still make this mistake… (“I know I revised that sheet… where is it? Oh, backup area 2…”) After spending 45 minutes looking for it…

Ask anyone who has lost loads of data….

If it’s REALLY important, make sure you have HARD COPIES!!!! Preferably in a fire safe area. What’d happen if the building would burn down? Really? Where’s your Data???

How do YOU Organize??? Your Examples???