Why should we care about file formats?
08/02/2017
![F-Vader_Floppy Darth Vader model destroying a floppy disk](https://blogs.cranfield.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/F-Vader_Floppy-1.jpg)
Many funders require you to share your research data after your project, to increase its value and reach, and potentially increase your impact – and secure preservation makes your data easier to retrieve and understand if you want to reuse it yourself in future, too. But if data is preserved for a decade or more, how likely is it that it will actually be usable in the future?
We used to store data on DV tapes and floppy disks, but how many people could read these today? My remaining floppy disks certainly make more effective drinks coasters than storage devices! In a similar way to how physical storage formats change, file formats change, too, especially those created by companies that then go on to develop new formats or even go out of business. It’s therefore important to choose file formats wisely.
Wherever possible, you should save in an open format (such as csv), rather than a proprietary format (such as xls) that requires specific software to read it properly and is unlikely to be as interoperable. Some proprietary software only runs on particular operating systems, which excludes some users from being able to open the files. Such proprietary formats might not even be fully readable by the same software a few versions down the line – Matlab and Microsoft products in particular are known to have this issue. (Microsoft Works was discontinued in 2009 but files need to be converted to be readable today and may lose their formatting or some content in the process; have you also encountered Compatibility Mode issues in Word due to version changes?)
So to help keep your data usable for the long-term, try to choose from an open format in the table below; the more extensive UK Data Service format advice is also a valuable reference.
Type of data | Recommended format(s) | Format(s) to avoid |
Qualitative textual data | .xml, .rtf, .txt, .pdf (PDF/A) | .doc |
Quantitative tabular data | .por, .csv, .tab | .xls and other proprietary database formats |
Images | .tif, .png, .svg, .jpg | .psd |
Audio | .flac, .wav | .wma, .ra, .ram |
Video | .mp4 | .wmv, .mov, .avi |
If you’re depositing the file in CORD, our new data repository, we will accept all formats at the moment but are reviewing how to handle these in order to ensure the files’ long-term usability, as we are required to retain data accessibly for 10+ years. And of course sometimes you cannot avoid using a proprietary format – this is fine, but it will be important to make this clear when depositing the file on CORD or another repository, so anyone viewing the record will know what requirements there are to be able to access the data in the file. See the RDM intranet site for more advice and contact details for further help.
Image: “I find your lack of space disturbing” by N. Hussein, CC-BY-NC-SA 2.0, available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nhussein/3583560407/
Categories & Tags:
Leave a comment on this post:
You might also like…
Keren Tuv: My Cranfield experience studying Renewable Energy
Hello, my name is Keren, I am from London, UK, and I am studying Renewable Energy MSc. My journey to discovering Cranfield University began when I first decided to return to academia to pursue ...
3D Metal Manufacturing in space: A look into the future
David Rico Sierra, Research Fellow in Additive Manufacturing, was recently involved in an exciting project to manufacture parts using 3D printers in space. Here he reflects on his time working with Airbus in Toulouse… ...
A Legacy of Courage: From India to Britain, Three Generations Find Their Home
My story begins with my grandfather, who plucked up the courage to travel aboard at the age of 22 and start a new life in the UK. I don’t think he would have thought that ...
Cranfield to JLR: mastering mechatronics for a dream career
My name is Jerin Tom, and in 2023 I graduated from Cranfield with an MSc in Automotive Mechatronics. Originally from India, I've always been fascinated by the world of automobiles. Why Cranfield and the ...
Bringing the vision of advanced air mobility closer to reality
Experts at Cranfield University led by Professor Antonios Tsourdos, Head of the Autonomous and Cyber-Physical Systems Centre, are part of the Air Mobility Ecosystem Consortium (AMEC), which aims to demonstrate the commercial and operational ...
Using grey literature in your research: A short guide
As you research and write your thesis, you might come across, or be looking for, ‘grey literature’. This is quite simply material that is either unpublished, or published but not in a commercial form. Types ...