diff --git a/images/comic_xkcd-folders.png b/images/comic_xkcd-folders.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ee1093e Binary files /dev/null and b/images/comic_xkcd-folders.png differ diff --git a/mod_reproducibility.qmd b/mod_reproducibility.qmd index b9410d4..6c9c087 100644 --- a/mod_reproducibility.qmd +++ b/mod_reproducibility.qmd @@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ Much of the popular conversation around reproducibility centers on reproducibili The simplest and often most effective way of beginning a reproducible project is adopting (and sticking to) a good file organization system. There is no single "best" way of organizing your projects' files as long as you are consistent. Consistency allows those navigating your system to _deduce_ where particular files are likely to be without having in-depth knowledge of the entire suite of materials. +One stick figure looks in despair at anther's computer where many badly named files are present. At the bottom text reads 'protip: never look in someone else's dcouments folder' + To begin, it is best to have a single folder for each project. This makes it simple to find the project's inputs and outputs and also makes collaboration and documentation much cleaner. Later in your project's life cycle, this 'one folder' approach will also make it easier to share your project with external reviewers or new team members. For researchers used to working alone there can be a temptation to think about your leadership of a project as the fundamental unit rather than the individual projects' scopes. This method works fine when working alone but greatly increases the difficulty of communication and co-working in projects led by teams. RStudio (the primary Integrated Developer Environment for R) and most version control systems assume that each project's materials will be placed in a single folder and either of these systems can confer significant benefits to your work (well worth any potential reorganization difficulty). Within your project folder, it is valuable to structure your folders and files hierarchically. Having a folder with dozens of mixed file types of various purposes that may be either inputs or outputs is cumbersome to document and difficult to navigate. If instead you adopt a system of sub-folders that group files based on purpose and/or source engagement becomes much simpler. You need not use an intricate web of sub-folders either; often just a single layer of these sub-folders provides sufficient structure to meet your project's organizational needs.