Step 1 – Develop a data tracking system
Regardless of the amount of qualitative or quantitative research you plan to conduct, you will find it beneficial to create a data inventory file to assist you in keeping track of what data has been collected and where to find that data. Each project should have a detailed log file associated with it and that file should be included in the primary folder pertaining to the specific project. This file should be updated each time you conduct any research associated with the project. This process becomes extremely important when you are working on several projects at a time and the lines separating them become hazy in your mind. If there will be multiple people working on a project, the specifics of the tracking procedures need to be conveyed to them so that there is no confusion or misclassification.
You should also create an omnibus file to keep track of all the research projects that are currently being conducted or that have already been conducted. This file should contain enough information to allow you to find a specific research project in your data warehouse. It acts like a library cataloging system to keep tract of the various research that has been conducted and provides enough detail to assist the reader in finding the specific data they are searching for. This file may include information on the purpose of the study, primary questions, topics the research addressed, the methods used, type of data collected, and where and when the data was collected.
Step 2 – Develop and follow a clear folder and file naming system
This may seem to be common sense, but you would be surprised at how many people do not follow the simple practice of properly naming their folders. Many of us can attest to having spent a nontrivial amount of time looking for a file on the computer or rummaging through a stack of papers looking for the one with the important notes. Thus, once you decide to conduct research and begin collecting data, you will need to develop a folder and file structure to keep track of the data and the actions taken to get it. This needs to be done at the beginning of the process and should be adhered to throughout the entire duration of the project.
Your folder and file structures are a matter of personal choice, but they should reflect how you think about your project. You may choose to organize according to the project, where the data is collected, the type of research method used, or by the date each step in the research was conducted. Regardless of the structure you choose, a consistent, meaningful, and logical folder and file structure facilitates organizing your research and makes it easy to locate your data.
As previously stated, you must create an omnibus file that serves as a reference guide to the various folders and files associated with all you research projects and data. This file should detail each project and provide enough detail on the various folders and files contained in them to make it easy to find the data in the future.
Folder and File Structure
Folder Structure
There are many ways that you can arrange you filing system (and this is a personal choice) but irrespective of the choice, the filing system must provide you with an easy and efficient way to find data and information in a timely manner. One possible way is to organize the data by project, research method, source, location, and time. Using this structure allows the data to be clustered in a relevant manner making it easy to find and work with.
For example:
Main Folder = Project: What is the reason for collecting the data? Was it based on product usage, attitude towards/about something, consumer/customer beliefs/opinions, or brand image?
You should give this main file a name that gives an overview of what is contained in the file. The name should be descriptive enough to allow you to discern quickly and easily what the folder contains.
Most software programs allow you to have long file names (up to 250 characters) so you should take advantage of that functionality. You can give the file a name such as “Customer belief about the benefits of our product”. You can even get more detailed “Customer utilitarian/hedonic belief about the benefits of Product A, Model XYZ”. The level of detail you use is a personal choice, but you need to use enough detail so you, and other people, will be able to find the data in the future.
Sub-Folder-Layer 1 = Type of research: Is the research qualitative or quantitative?
Your Level 1 sub-folder should also be descriptive enough to convey what type of research you conducted. This will allow you to separate the data into categories and allow you to pinpoint the data you need. You should use a separate folder for each type of research conducted. So, if your project folder is “Customer utilitarian/hedonic belief about the benefits of Product A, Model XYZ” then you may need two sub-folders representing quantitative and qualitative research. These folders do not need to be any more detailed than the labels quantitative and qualitative, but you can make them as detailed as you want.
Sub-Folder-Layer 2 = Research method: What method did you use to collect the data?
You should also use a separate folder for each type of research method used. So, if you conducted quantitative survey research and qualitative focus group research, the results should be stored in different folders. Thus, in the quantitative folder you may find a subfolder labeled “Surveys concerning hedonic belief of benefits of Product A, Model XYZ”. In the qualitative folder you may have a sub-folder labeled “Focus group concerning hedonic belief of benefits of Product A, Model XYZ”, or “Field notes on hedonic belief of benefits of Product A, Model XYZ”. Using this format allows for continuity between the project and the research method(s) used.
Sub-Folder-Layer 3 = Source: Where did the information come from?
Your Level 3 sub-folders can also be descriptive, but they do not have to be as descriptive as the previous levels. At this level, the primary goal is to identify the source of the data or information. If you collected data from teenagers 13 to 17 or young adults 18 to 24, you would want to keep that information separate and easily identifiable. Therefore, in the folder titled “Focus group concerning hedonic belief of benefits of Product A, Model XYZ” you may have sub-folders labeled “Teens 13 to 17 hedonic belief of benefits” or “Young Adults 18 to 24 hedonic belief of benefits”. If you want more detail, you could label the folders “Teens 13 to 17 hedonic belief of benefits of Product A, Model XYZ” or “Young adults 18 to 24 hedonic belief of benefits of Product A, Model XYZ”. The same format should be applied for the quantitative research.
Sub-Folder-Layer4 = Location: Where was the data collected?
Depending on the sophistication of your data collection, you may not require this level of specification. Nonetheless, there are situations when the location does matter. This may be necessary for those doing research in different geographical locations where differences may exist. Respondents in one geographical location may have different knowledge and beliefs than respondents in another geographical location. If this is the case, you would want to preserve that information. You should use a separate folder for each location. Therefore, if your source folder is titled “Young adults 18 to 24 hedonic belief of benefits of Product A, Model XYZ” your location folder might be “Location A – Young adults 18 to 24 hedonic beliefs of benefits of Product A, Model XYZ” or “Young adults 18 to 24 hedonic belief of benefits of Product A, Model XYZ – Location A”. The same format should be applied for the quantitative research in its respective folder.
Sub-Folder-Layer5 = Time: When did you collect the data?
Although this may seem like a trivial component on which to organize your data, it may be very significant. This becomes relevant when you consider longitudinal research or change research. For instance, if an industry association (e.g., The United Dairy Industry Association) was going to run a series of advertisements designed to provide information on the benefits of consuming milk (i.e., Got Milk), they may be interested in tracking respondents’ knowledge and belies before and after the advertising campaign. Similarly, if you want to run an advertising campaign about your product to provide knowledge of its benefits and change consumer beliefs about the product, then you would want to collect information before and after the campaign (i.e., at different times). Keeping this information separate would be critical for the purpose of data analysis. Thus, you may want to label folders at this level as “Location A – Young adults 18 to 24 hedonic beliefs of benefits of Product A, Model XYZ – January 20XX”. The same format should be applied for the quantitative research in its respective folder.
Note: depending on the sensitivity of the data, you can include additional layers corresponding to other factors of the research participants (e.g., ethnicity, marital status, or religion).
File Name Structure
Just as with the folder structure, there is no universal right way to name your files. Whatever structure you choose, it is imperative that you develop it at the start of your research project, include it in the omnibus file, and apply it consistently for the duration of the research project. Having stated that, your file names should be clear and provide some detail about what is contained in them. Unlike folder names, file names do not have to be long, just long enough to be clearly understood. If the need arises to create more than one version of a file, you should add a number or a letter to the end of the file, so the highest number or letter represents the most current version of the file.
Overview of File and Folder Structure
Main Folder: Customer utilitarian/hedonic belief about the benefits of Product A, Model XYZ
Sub-Folder1: Qualitative Research
Sub-Folder2: Focus group concerning hedonic belief of benefits of Product A, Model
XYZ
Sub-Folder3: Teens 13 to 17 hedonic belief of benefits of Product A, Model
XYZ
Sub-Folder4: Location A – Teens 13 to 17 hedonic beliefs of
benefits of Product A, Model XYZ
Sub-Floder5: Location A – Teens 13 to 17 hedonic beliefs of benefits of Product A, Model XYZ – January 20XX
File1: Focus Group Session 1
File2: Focus Group Session 2
File3: Focus Group Session 2A