Version control is the process of managing file (or record, or dataset) revisions. It is particularly important for files that undergo numerous revisions, where there are multiple members of a research team, or when files are shared across multiple locations.
Basic version control can be achieved by assigning unique file names and keeping a version control table to record changes. Other strategies include using version control facilities within the software you are using (see the UK Data Archive's guide to applying versioning in MS Word), or using file sharing services such as Dropbox or Google Drive, and controlling rights to file editing and manually merging edits by multiple users. You might also consider using specific versioning software such as Git or Mercurial (see also the list below)
Best practice is to:
(Source: the UK Data Archive guide.)
(A Hinman Collator from the Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington D.C. Photograph by Julie Ainsworth, shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International Licence.)
Guides:
This ANDS guide explains why versioning is important, how to number versions and how to cite versioned data.
This guide from the UK Data Archive provides best practice guidelines for version control.
Software:
Server-client revision control system.
Online service with free unlimited repositories for up to 5 users. Options to use Git and/or Mercurial.
Distributed revision control system. Free, open-source.
Unlimited public repositories for unlimited number of users. Can use with Git or SVN.
Distributed revision control system. Free, open-source.
Training:
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