Storage is where data exists during active research; archiving is where the most re-usable or raw data exists with the intent for long-term preservation. Your local IT professionals will know the preferred storage options for each department or College. 

Having a system for organization is a key aspect of data management, but having a feasible system is more important. If your system feels unnatural or interrupts your workflow, you are less likely to stick to it, resulting in disorganized data. 

Your research has data files of varying importance. When designing an organization system, plan on expending the most effort on your high value data files. The lists below are examples of files of different improtance.  

Examples of High Value Data Files

• Raw data
• Documentation 
• Final results / analysis
• References cited list
• Submitted version of manuscript
• Final paper

Examples of Low Value Data Files

• Abandoned analysis strategy
• Intermediary versions of data cleaning
• Intermediary versions of the manuscript