Formats
The formats in which information is published – in other words, the digital base in which the information is stored - can either be “open” or “closed”. An open format is one where the specifications for the software are available to anyone, free of charge, so that anyone can use these specifications in their own software without any limitations on re-use imposed by intellectual property rights. If a file format is “closed”, this may be either because the file format is proprietary and the specification is not publicly available, or because the file format is proprietary and even though the specification has been made public, re-use is limited. [Open formats] minimise the obstacles to reusing the information they contain. -- Open Data Handbook
◎ Brainstorm
- What are some common data formats in your field of interest?
- Are there active and supportive user communities around them?
- How does the software deployed by default at your institution influence data formats?
- Discuss how data formats impact reuse culture in education or research.
opendata.swiss Update. Jonas Oesch 2018