Long after some software packages are gone, reading your data files may be difficult or impossible. You can help reduce the obscelence of your data files by using file types that are designed for long-term access. The following file types are preferrable over proprietary software-specfic file types:
A. Text Files
PDF/A
TXT
XML
RTF
Not: MS Word
B. Numerical Files
CSV
ASC
Not: MS Excel
C. Video Files
MPEG-4
Not: Quicktime
D. Image Files
TIFF
JPEG2000
Not: GIF, JPG
E. Audio Files
WAV
Not: mp3
Depositing your data to a data repository is a great way to publish and share your data files with other researchers. Discipline specific repositories should be your first choice for data deposition. UTK Libraries staff can assist you in locating one. If a suitable, domain-specific repository can not be found, consider depositing your data files to Trace, UTK's digital repository.
Below are some examples of discipline specific repositories:
1. Science and Engineering
Dryad
GenBank
Protein Data Bank
National Snow and Ice Data Center
National Space Science Data Center
National Oceanic Data Center
2. Computer Science
3. Social Sciences
Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research
The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research
3. Trace (UT's Digital Repository)
For additional repositories by discipline, please visit the Data Repositories page on the Open Access Directory.