Files called final.csv, final2.csv, and use_this_final.csv may be understandable to one analyst on Friday afternoon. They are much harder to defend months later when another team needs to reconstruct an assay handoff.
A pre-handoff check can catch naming and packaging problems without reviewing the science.
Define the naming pattern
The data owner should approve required elements such as study identifier, method or assay code, run identifier, file type, version, and date. Keep the pattern short enough that people can use it consistently. Put sensitive participant information in controlled systems, not filenames.
Before transfer, compare each filename with the run manifest. Confirm that expected files are present, extensions are correct, and duplicate names do not hide different content. Where the system supports checksums, include them in the manifest.
Correct with traceability
Do not overwrite an original file merely to make the name prettier. Follow the laboratory's controlled correction or copy process, retain the source, and record who made the change, when, and why. If a file's identity is uncertain, quarantine the package and ask the data owner.
Complete the receipt
The receiving person should confirm the package, manifest, file count, and secure storage location. Log missing or unreadable files as exceptions. Scientific staff decide whether a dataset is complete for analysis and whether a run is valid.
Review exception patterns monthly. Repeated confusion around run identifiers may point to the template, while duplicate exports may point to unclear system instructions.
This check supports data organization. It does not validate an assay, certify data integrity, or replace laboratory procedures and quality review.
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