Choosing a Data Format
The format of the digital data files you work with during your research may be determined by the research equipment and computer hardware and software that you use. However, depending on the format and the tools you are using, converting to a different file format may be best for preservation and access.
Recommended file formats that best support sharing, reuse, and preservation are formats that are open, software-neutral, unencrypted, uncompressed, and in use within disciplinary communities.
Stanford University Libraries Data Management Services has made a useful overview of recommended file formats available:
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Containers: TAR, GZIP, ZIP
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Databases: XML, CSV
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Geospatial: SHP, DBF, GeoTIFF, NetCDF
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Moving images: MOV, MPEG, AVI, MXF
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Sounds: WAVE, AIFF, MP3, MXF
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Statistics: ASCII, DTA, POR, SAS, SAV
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Still images: TIFF, JPEG 2000, PDF, PNG, GIF, BMP
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Tabular data: CSV
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Text: XML, PDF/A, HTML, ASCII, UTF-8
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Web archive: WARC
When making a plan of action for data, evaluating the following may be useful:
- Is the data reliant on proprietary software to access it? If yes, preserving a copy in an open, sustainable file format will help to ensure that both you and others can access it in the future. Consider creating a copy of the original data format with a copy of the software if possible.
- If you will be depositing your data in a repository at the end of your project, does the repository have specific guidelines or requirements with respect to file format? If yes, create a copy in the required format for deposit and document the conversion for users.
- Will converting to another file format modify the data or cause a loss of features? If yes, consider creating a copy in an open format but preserving the original data format.
File Naming
Planning how you are going to name your files will help you find files easier, avoid duplication, and help you close-out projects quicker. When naming files remember to:
- Be consistent
- Ensure that your project team knows the
- Give files a meaningful, descriptive name. A file name might include a combination of elements, such as type of equipment used, date, and researcher's surname
- Decide on the best order for elements in a file name; it will affect how the files are sorted
- Be brief
- Use underscores instead of spaces to separate words/dates
- Stick to letters and numbers (rather than special characters like ~ ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) ` ; < > ? , [ ] { } ‘ “)
- Account for versions. The US Geological Survey recommends the following: Include a number behind the file name to indicate the version, e.g.:
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original document: Bisondata_1.0
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original document with minor revisions: Bisondata_1.1
- document with substantial revisions: Bisondata_2.0
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- Use date standard that can allow for chronological sorting: YYYYMMDD
Versioning