When organizing your research project and data management plan, it is important to consider the file formats you will create in the course of research. Formats matter in particular when thinking about the longevity of your files, and whether they will remain accessible over time. Key best practices for file formats include:

• Non-proprietary file formats are best for long-term access (for instance, tiff as opposed to psd).
• Use non-compressed, “lossless” formats to preserve data (for instance, jpg as opposed to tiff).
• Select unencrypted and uncompiled file formats