In the molecular life sciences, it is common to save data in files. Structured human-readable tabular formats are preferred for files that will be analysed by other researchers. More formal, computer-readable descriptions of the data should complement the files to enable scalable, automated applications.
The UMCs recommend selecting file formats that are:
- open (i.e., formats that can always be interpreted, so not '.doc' and '.xls' or instrument-specific data formats);
- well-documented (i.e., rigorous like 'xml' with a schema description is preferred over formats that are open to multiple interpretations like '.csv' without schema descriptions);
- flexible (i.e., self-describing formats which can adapt to future needs);
- frequently used (i.e., for which conversion tools will be created and maintained if necessary).