A version control system offers a complete history of your files and allows you to share changes made to iterations. This supports the authenticity and provenance of the file.
A version control strategy is important when various iterations of a file are likely. This will help you keep track of changes for files that are being developed and shared between people and storage locations. You will also be able to easily compare content from one version to another and revert back to a previous version if deemed necessary.
- Record the status of the file (draft, final, internal, external).
- Record an overview of changes made when creating a new version.
- Record any related material where helpful to do so.
Consistent file naming convention
Agree on a file naming convention in order to indicate the version and level of changes made. An example is to increase the major versions using a defined incremental scale such as 1-0, 2-0, 3-0, etc. Amendments to the versions would be labelled as 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, etc. This offers a distinction between major and minor revisions. This is illustrated below...
- FE11_FileExample_0-1 to represent the first draft
- FE11_FileExample_0-2 to represent the second draft
- FE11_FileExample_1-0 to represent approved version 1
- FE11_FileExample_1-1 to represent amendments to version 1
- FE11_FileExample_1-2 to represent further amendments to version 1
- FE11_FileExample_2-0 to represent approved version 2
Version control table
Within each document, or within a supplementary document related to a particular digital file, include a version control table to highlight the file versions, the status of each version, who is responsible for each version, what date the new version was last amended and an overview of changes made...
||Major revision with amendments to sections 2, 4 and 6
||Document checked by JB and minor edits made to section 2
||Document checked by LS and minor edits made to section 2
Version control software
Versioning software is available and can be used if you feel the need. An example is Apache Subversion.
Digital material can be altered, copied and deleted with relative ease. It is therefore important to be able to ensure the authenticity of your material so that users can trust its contents.
- Keep a single 'master' file to avoid problems related to developing multiple working versions being developed in parallel.
- Agree on a storage location for the 'master' file and restrict write access to this in order to prevent unauthorised access to data that may potentially lead to unauthorised changes.
- Assign responsibility for 'master' files to a single project team member.
- Record all changes to the 'master' files.
- Archive copies of the 'master' files at regular intervals.