Digital file formats

Researchers should adopt durable formats for research data. Durable formats are those that will be usable for at least the lifetime of the project and the duration of any statutory and/or legislative retention period.

Digital file format considerations

For digital research data, you should adopt file formats that meet criteria such as:

endorsed and published by standards agencies such as Standards Australia and ISO
publicly documented, i.e. complete authoritative specifications are available
the product of collaborative development and consultative processes
self-documenting, i.e. the digital file itself can include useful metadata
widely used and accepted as best practice within the researcher's discipline or another user community.

Format independence from specific platforms, hardware or software

You should also consider the long-term availability of and support for any hardware and software used to create and manipulate research data. Considerations include:

the likely time that the hardware and software will be available
the size and level of activity of the developer and user communities
the level of technical support that is available now and in the future.

Where there is a reliance on specific software, you should consider storing the programs and any related documentation with the research data, if the terms and conditions under which you bought or licensed the software permit you to do this. You should document any special hardware and software requirements as part of data management planning.

Contacts

The Monash e-Research Centre and the Library can provide advice on digital file formats as required.

Sources

5. Media and Formats. Preservation Management of Digital Materials: The Handbook. Digital Preservation Coalition, National Library of Australian and PADI Gateway. Last updated December 2008.
JISC Digital Media - Advice and information, especially relevant to images, sound and video.

Send an email inquiry to the University's Data Management Coordinator.