Depositing Data or Documents

VERSO Deposit Format Quick Reference

A quick guide to choosing open, preservation-friendly formats for your VERSO deposit

Data Type	Best Format	Also Acceptable	Avoid
Spreadsheets/Tables	CSV, TSV, JSON	ODS	XLS, XLSX; include CSV version
Text Documents	TXT (UTF-8), Markdown, PDF/A, HTML	ODT, LaTeX	DOC, DOCX; export to PDF/A
Images	TIFF, PNG	JPEG 2000, JPEG for derivatives	GIF, proprietary RAW without TIFF
Geospatial (Vector)	GeoJSON, Shapefile	KML, GML	Proprietary geodatabases
Geospatial (Raster)	GeoTIFF, NetCDF	—	Proprietary formats
Audio	WAV, FLAC, AIFF	MP3 for access copies	Proprietary formats
Video	MP4, MKV	Uncompressed AVI	Heavily compressed proprietary
Code/Scripts	Plain text: `.py`, `.r`, `.m`, etc.	Jupyter notebooks, R Markdown	Compiled binaries without source
Databases	SQL dump, XML, JSON	CSV + data dictionary	`.mdb`, `.accdb` without export

Have you converted proprietary formats to open equivalents?
Are all text files saved with UTF-8 encoding?
Have you checked that compressed formats (JPEG, MP3) are only used for derivative/access copies?
Are file and folder names descriptive and free of special characters?
Have you organized files logically (e.g., separate folders for data, code, documentation)?

README file (TXT or Markdown) explaining:
- What the dataset contains
- File organization
- Software requirements
- Known limitations
Data dictionary or codebook (for tabular data) documenting:
- Variable names and definitions
- Units and measurement scales
- Codes for categorical variables
- Missing data indicators
Methodology documentation describing:
- Data collection methods
- Processing or analysis steps
- Quality control procedures
Format documentation (for specialized formats):
- Links to format specifications
- Required software or tools
- Version information

From (Proprietary)	To (Open Format)	How
Excel `.xls`, `.xlsx`	CSV	File → Save As → CSV UTF-8 Export each sheet separately
Word `.doc`, `.docx`	PDF/A or ODT	File → Save As → PDF, select PDF/A or Save As → OpenDocument Text
Photoshop `.psd`	TIFF	File → Export → Export As → TIFF Use LZW compression, lossless
Access Database `.mdb`	SQL or CSV	Export each table to CSV Include data dictionary explaining relationships
SPSS `.sav`	CSV + codebook	File → Export → CSV Create codebook from variable view
Stata `.dta`	CSV + codebook	`export delimited using filename.csv` Create codebook with variable labels

Ask yourself:

Is there a discipline-specific standard for this data type?
- Yes → Use that standard (e.g., NetCDF for climate data, FASTA for sequences)
- No → Continue to question 2
Can the data be represented in plain text or structured text?
- Yes → Use CSV, JSON, XML, or TXT
- No → Continue to question 3
Is there an open standard for this file type?
- Yes → Use the open standard (e.g., ODS instead of XLS)
- No → Continue to question 4
Must you use a proprietary format?
- Include comprehensive documentation
- Provide an open-format version if possible
- Export key data to CSV or JSON

If you’re uncertain about format choices for your deposit:

Check with your discipline. Look at established repositories in your field (e.g., GenBank, ICPSR, Dryad) to see what formats they accept.
Consult funder requirements. Many funders specify preferred formats in their data management policies.
Contact Data Services. We can help you identify appropriate formats, perform conversions, and create documentation. Email us at lib-verso@uidaho.edu or schedule a consultation.

Last updated: February 2026