Library:Circle/File Naming Conventions
cIRcle File Naming Conventions
Overview
This document provides guidelines on the naming of non-thesis files in cIRcle. File names for UBC theses and dissertations are determined by the Faculty of Graduate Studies cIRcle Instructions page. Please use the cIRcle Contact Us form if you have any questions.
Key Concept: Readable File Names
Consistently using a file naming convention is an essential component of the long term preservation of digital records. File names should be both human-readable and machine-readable, meaning that the people and computer software interacting with cIRcle files are able to recognize and understand the file names. If a file name is not human-readable (e.g. lacks a descriptive name), content may be lost or accidentally overwritten. If a file name is not machine-readable (e.g. contains spaces or unsupported special characters), computer software may fail to open the file rendering it unusable.
The naming guidelines that follow are designed to provide files with concise yet descriptive names that help ensure content can be found, used, and maintained for as long as possible.
Guiding Principles for Non-Thesis File Names in cIRcle
- It is strongly recommended that characters be restricted to letters, numbers and _ (underscore) only
- Avoid using special characters in file names. Not all operating systems support special characters and using them may result in your file not displaying properly and/or negatively impact the long term preservation of your material. More information on why you should avoid special characters and file names is available from Iowa State University Library https://instr.iastate.libguides.com/datashare/filenames [1]
- If you choose to use special characters despite strong recommendations (e.g. to maintain a non-English spelling of a personal name or term) ensure that they are at least Unicode Standard characters or UTF-8 encoded.
- Use _ (underscore) to separate words. Do not use blank spaces in file names.
- Avoid using stop words where possible (a, an, the, if, but, so, for, etc.)
- Use unique file names
- File names of less than 50 characters are recommended
Individual(s) as Author
Single Author
- Separate last name and first initial using underscore _
- Use capital letters for last name and first initial
- Use the last name followed by the first name initial only
- Add first two to four significant words of title. Limit file names to less than 50 characters where possible.
- If it's coursework, include the course number
- If it's a postprint or preprint, you can add that if the file name isn't overly long
- Add year of item creation
Example: Coursework
- Author: Lorenz Yeung
- Author: Lorenz Yeung
- Title: Assessment of Barriers Contributing to Presentation of Breast Cancer Patients in Jamaica
- Title: Assessment of Barriers Contributing to Presentation of Breast Cancer Patients in Jamaica
- Coursework: SURG 560
- Year: 2020
- Year: 2020
- cIRcle file name format:
- Yeung_L_SURG 560_Assessment_breast_cancer_Jamaica_2020.pdf
Multiple Authors
- Separate last name and first initial using underscore _
- Use the last name and first initial of the first author followed by “_et_al”
- If it's coursework, include the course number
- Add first two to four significant words in title. Limit file names to less than 50 characters where possible.
- If it's a postprint or preprint article, you can add that if it doesn't make the file name overly long
- Add year of item creation
Example 1: Coursework
- Authors: Richie Chan; Daniel Chen; Lisa Chai; Wendy Chen
- Authors: Richie Chan; Daniel Chen; Lisa Chai; Wendy Chen
- Title: 不能喝涼水 – Don’t drink cold water
- Title: 不能喝涼水 – Don’t drink cold water
- Course code: ACAM 320B
- Year: 2021
- Year: 2021
- cIRcle file name format: Chan_R_et_al_ACAM320B_Dont_drink_cold_water_2021.mp3
Example 2: Postprint Article
- Authors: Eva Oberle; Megan Zeni; Fritha Munday; Mariana Brussoni
- Authors: Eva Oberle; Megan Zeni; Fritha Munday; Mariana Brussoni
- Title: Support Factors and Barriers for Outdoor Learning in Elementary Schools : A Systemic Perspective
- Title: Support Factors and Barriers for Outdoor Learning in Elementary Schools : A Systemic Perspective
- Year: 2021
- Year: 2021
- cIRcle file name format: Oberle_E_et_al_Support_factors_barriers_Postprint_2021.pdf
- cIRcle file name format: Oberle_E_et_al_Support_factors_barriers_Postprint_2021.pdf
Agency/Organization as Author
Unique/Non-Unique Title
- Use the item's title for the file name
- Separate words in title using underscore _
- Add year of item creation
- If there are other cIRcle entries or file names with the same name, include additional identifiers to distinguish between file names (e.g. authors, version, edition, etc.)
Example
- Author(s): Vancouver Coastal Health Authority; Nurses’ Bargaining Association BC; Fraser Health Authority; University of British Columbia School of Nursing; British Columbia Nurses' Union; Educator Pathway Project; University of Victoria School of Nursing
- Author(s): Vancouver Coastal Health Authority; Nurses’ Bargaining Association BC; Fraser Health Authority; University of British Columbia School of Nursing; British Columbia Nurses' Union; Educator Pathway Project; University of Victoria School of Nursing
- Title: Preparing a nursing workforce to advance health services : a 3-year project to build nursing educator capacity in the health authorities (Final report)
- Title: Preparing a nursing workforce to advance health services : a 3-year project to build nursing educator capacity in the health authorities (Final report)
- Year: 2011
- cIRcle file name format for unique title: Preparing_nursing_workforce_2011.pdf
- cIRcle file name format for non-unique title: Vancouver_Coastal_Health_Preparing_nursing_workforce_2021.pdf
Title
Brief Title
- If the title is brief, the full title can be listed (omit stop words)
- Capitalize first letter of first word in title
Example
- Author: Jean-François Roof
- Author: Jean-François Roof
- Title: Practicum report : Fall 2011
- Title: Practicum report : Fall 2011
- Date: Fall 2011
- Date: Fall 2011
- cIRcle file name format: Roof_J-F_Practicum_report_Fall_2011.pdf
Long Title
- If the title is too long to limit the file name to 50 characters or under, use the first three or four significant words only
- Capitalize first letter of first word in title
Example
- Authors: Vann Chau; Kenneth J. Poskitt; Deborah E. McFadden; Tim Bowen-Roberts; Anne Synnes; Rollin Brant; Michael A. Sargent; Wendy Soulikias; Steven P. Miller
- Authors: Vann Chau; Kenneth J. Poskitt; Deborah E. McFadden; Tim Bowen-Roberts; Anne Synnes; Rollin Brant; Michael A. Sargent; Wendy Soulikias; Steven P. Miller
- Title: Effect of chorioamnionitis on brain development and injury in premature newborns
- Title: Effect of chorioamnionitis on brain development and injury in premature newborns
- Year: 2021
- Year: 2021
- cIRcle file name format: Chau_V_et_al_Effect_chorioamnionitis_brain_2021.pdf
Coursework
- Separate words using underscore
- Use capital letters for last name and first initial
- Include the last name followed by the first initial
- Add the course name and number
- Add first two to four significant words of title. Try to limit the file name to 50 characters.
- Add the year the course was taken
Example
- Authors: Tsuba Shima
- Authors: Tsuba Shima
- Title: The Healthy Immigrant Effect and LGBTQ+ Asian Canadians
- Title: The Healthy Immigrant Effect and LGBTQ+ Asian Canadians
- Course: ACAM 320B
- Course: ACAM 320B
- Year: 2022
- Year: 2022
- cIRcle file name format: Shima_T_ACAM320B_Healthy_immigrant_effect_2022.pdf
Date
It is generally not necessary to include a full date (YYYYMMDD) in the file name; providing the year is usually sufficient and may be the only date information available for a particular item. There are some instances, however, where a date is included to differentiate between items with the same title that repeat annually such as a congregation or when a file has been revised:
Recurring Titles
- Date format for recurring titles requiring a full date: YYYYMMDD
Example
- Author: President Stephen Toope
- Author: President Stephen Toope
- Title: 2007 Fall Congregation
- Title: 2007 Fall Congregation
- Date: November 21, 2007
- Date: November 21, 2007
- cIRcle file name format: Toope_S_President_Fall_congregation_20071121.pdf
Revised Titles
- Date format for revised titles: rev_YYYYMMDD
Example
- Author: Angela Bonilla Gomez; Megan Gelb; Ian Judson; Jacob Rodgers
- Author: Angela Bonilla Gomez; Megan Gelb; Ian Judson; Jacob Rodgers
- Title: A systematic review of the literature examining choice programs and issues of equity within public education
- Title: A systematic review of the literature examining choice programs and issues of equity within public education
- Year: 2012
- Revised: October 27, 2020
- cIRcle file name format (original file): Gomez_A_et_al_Systemic_review_literature_2012.pdf
- cIRcle file name format (revised file): Gomez_A_et_al_Systemic_review_literature_rev_20201027.pdf
cIRcle License File Names (for Collection Administrators Only)
Licenses for cIRcle are typically handled by the cIRcle Office. If you are an authorized Collection Administrator who has received training in license management from the cIRcle Office, please use the following format for file names containing licenses.
Single Author
- Use capital letters for first and last name
- Include the last name followed by first name initial
- Separate words using underscore
- Add “cIRcle_License”
- Add year of license receipt by cIRcle
Example
- Author: Tsuba Shima
- Author: Tsuba Shima
- cIRcle file name format: Shima_T_cIRcle_License_2022.pdf
- cIRcle file name format: Shima_T_cIRcle_License_2022.pdf
Multiple Authors
- Use the name of the first author only
- Include last name first followed by the first name initial
- Separate words using underscore
- Include “_et_al” after the first author’s name
- Add “cIRcle_License”
- Add year of license receipt by cIRcle
Example
- Author: Brodie, Bailey; Law, Angela; Repole, Giulia; Rudy, Merlena; Tani, Christina
- Author: Brodie, Bailey; Law, Angela; Repole, Giulia; Rudy, Merlena; Tani, Christina
- cIRcle file name format: Brodie_B_et_al_cIRcle_License_2020.pdf
Multiple Titles by a Single Author
If an author will have multiple items added to cIRcle, it can be helpful to differentiate licenses by including title information. This, however, is not strictly necessary because our license retention workflow ensures that each license is attached to its corresponding record(s) in cIRcle. If you would like to include extra information in the filename, you can use the following template; otherwise, the license file naming conventions for a single author will suffice.
- Use capital letters for first and last name
- Last name first
- Add first two significant words of title
- Separate words using underscore
- Add “cIRcle License”
- Add year of license receipt by cIRcle
Example
- Author: Erin Fields
- Title: Feminist podcasting : delivering scholarship outside the university walls
- cIRcle file name format: Fields_Erin_Feminist_podcasting_cIRcle_License_2021.pdf
- Author: Erin Fields
- Author: Erin Fields
- Title: Liaising in the between : a plan for interdisciplinary outreach
- cIRcle file name format: Fields_Erin_Liasing_plan_cIRcle_License_2021.pdf
- Author: Erin Fields
Please use the cIRcle Contact Us form if you have any questions.