diff --git a/doc/examples/tutorial_HD_dataset.md b/doc/examples/tutorial_HD_dataset.md
index f39572bc..0e60d3f2 100644
--- a/doc/examples/tutorial_HD_dataset.md
+++ b/doc/examples/tutorial_HD_dataset.md
@@ -41,8 +41,9 @@ Downloading the data
 It's a small NWB file.
 
 ```{code-cell} ipython3
-path = "Mouse32-140822.nwb"
-if path not in os.listdir("."):
+data_dir = os.environ.get("PYNAPPLE_DATA_DIR", ".")
+path = os.path.join(data_dir, "Mouse32-140822.nwb")
+if not os.path.exists(path):
     r = requests.get(f"https://osf.io/jb2gd/download", stream=True)
     block_size = 1024*1024
     with open(path, 'wb') as f:
diff --git a/doc/examples/tutorial_calcium_imaging.md b/doc/examples/tutorial_calcium_imaging.md
index 396a8bcf..4f7b41bb 100644
--- a/doc/examples/tutorial_calcium_imaging.md
+++ b/doc/examples/tutorial_calcium_imaging.md
@@ -42,8 +42,9 @@ Downloading the data
 First things first: let's find our file.
 
 ```{code-cell} ipython3
-path = "A0670-221213.nwb"
-if path not in os.listdir("."):
+data_dir = os.environ.get("PYNAPPLE_DATA_DIR", ".")
+path = os.path.join(data_dir, "A0670-221213.nwb")
+if not os.path.exists(path):
   r = requests.get(f"https://osf.io/sbnaw/download", stream=True)
   block_size = 1024*1024
   with open(path, 'wb') as f:
diff --git a/doc/examples/tutorial_phase_preferences.md b/doc/examples/tutorial_phase_preferences.md
index 40f3c98e..757aa5f5 100644
--- a/doc/examples/tutorial_phase_preferences.md
+++ b/doc/examples/tutorial_phase_preferences.md
@@ -42,8 +42,9 @@ Downloading the data
 Let's download the data and save it locally.
 
 ```{code-cell} ipython3
-path = "Achilles_10252013_EEG.nwb"
-if path not in os.listdir("."):
+data_dir = os.environ.get("PYNAPPLE_DATA_DIR", ".")
+path = os.path.join(data_dir, "Achilles_10252013_EEG.nwb")
+if not os.path.exists(path):
     r = requests.get(f"https://osf.io/2dfvp/download", stream=True)
     block_size = 1024 * 1024
     with open(path, "wb") as f:
diff --git a/doc/examples/tutorial_wavelet_decomposition.md b/doc/examples/tutorial_wavelet_decomposition.md
index 46791298..e7d9d9e1 100644
--- a/doc/examples/tutorial_wavelet_decomposition.md
+++ b/doc/examples/tutorial_wavelet_decomposition.md
@@ -51,8 +51,9 @@ Let's download the data and save it locally
 jupyter:
   outputs_hidden: false
 ---
-path = "Achilles_10252013_EEG.nwb"
-if path not in os.listdir("."):
+data_dir = os.environ.get("PYNAPPLE_DATA_DIR", ".")
+path = os.path.join(data_dir, "Achilles_10252013_EEG.nwb")
+if not os.path.exists(path):
     r = requests.get(f"https://osf.io/2dfvp/download", stream=True)
     block_size = 1024 * 1024
     with open(path, "wb") as f:
diff --git a/doc/user_guide/02_input_output.md b/doc/user_guide/02_input_output.md
index 9588ff9b..c9b584bf 100644
--- a/doc/user_guide/02_input_output.md
+++ b/doc/user_guide/02_input_output.md
@@ -43,9 +43,10 @@ import os
 import requests, math
 import tqdm
 
-nwb_path = 'A2929-200711.nwb'
+data_dir = os.environ.get("PYNAPPLE_DATA_DIR", ".")
+nwb_path = os.path.join(data_dir, "A2929-200711.nwb")
 
-if nwb_path not in os.listdir("."):
+if not os.path.exists(nwb_path):
   r = requests.get(f"https://osf.io/fqht6/download", stream=True)
   block_size = 1024*1024
   with open(nwb_path, 'wb') as f:
@@ -266,10 +267,11 @@ print(sta)
 
 import zipfile
 
-project_path = "MyProject"
+data_dir = os.environ.get("PYNAPPLE_DATA_DIR", ".")
+project_path = os.path.join(data_dir, "MyProject")
 
 
-if project_path not in os.listdir("."):
+if not os.path.exists(project_path):
   r = requests.get(f"https://osf.io/a9n6r/download", stream=True)
   block_size = 1024*1024
   with open(project_path+".zip", 'wb') as f:
@@ -278,7 +280,7 @@ if project_path not in os.listdir("."):
       f.write(data)
 
   with zipfile.ZipFile(project_path+".zip", 'r') as zip_ref:
-    zip_ref.extractall(".")
+    zip_ref.extractall(data_dir)
 
 ```