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Common Data Types and Formats

Based on the results generated by a survey carried out by the NFDI4Chem consortium in 2020 and the yearly interviews with the repository leaders performed by NFDI4Chem's Task Area 3 repository team, a list of the most common data types and formats within this community was collected and is reported in Table 1. This table displays which data types are most commonly collected within the chemistry community and suggests which repository is most suitable for storing your specific data type.

The information provided in Table 1 will also guide you to efficiently and quickly select the best repository for the storage of your specific type of chemistry data.

Data typeData formatSuggested RepositoryCriteria for selection
Nuclear Magnetic ResonanceBruker format (as ZIP), JCAMP-DXChemotionPassing quality checks, curation/review prior publishing
Nuclear Magnetic ResonanceBruker format (as ZIP), JOEL format, JCAMP-DX, NMReData, nmrMLnmrXivValidations / Minimum information reporting standards
Mass SpectrometryMassBank format see RMassBankMassBank EUPassing validation, curation prior publishing
Mass SpectrometrymzML, JCAMP-DX; Vendor formats such as Thermo RAW are accepted and converted in Chemotion to mzML with Proteowizard's msconvert.ChemotionPassing quality checks, curation/review prior publishing
Infrared and RamanJCAMP-DX; certain vendor formats are accepted and converted to JCAMP-DX by ChemConverter.ChemotionPassing quality checks, curation/review prior publishing
X-Ray DiffractionJCAMP-DX; certain vendor formats are accepted and converted to JCAMP-DX by ChemConverter.ChemotionPassing quality checks, curation/review prior publishing
Ultraviolet–Visible SpectroscopyJCAMP-DX; certain vendor formats are accepted and converted to JCAMP-DX by ChemConverter.ChemotionPassing quality checks, curation/review prior publishing
Cyclic VoltammetryJCAMP-DX; certain vendor formats such as Gamry DTA, Metrohm CSV and TXT and PalmSens PSSESSION are accepted and converted to JCAMP-DX by ChemConverter.ChemotionPassing quality checks, curation/review prior publishing
Circular Dichroism SpectroscopyJCAMP-DX; certain vendor formats are accepted and converted to JCAMP-DX by ChemConverter.ChemotionPassing quality checks, curation/review prior publishing
Dynamic Light ScatteringJJCAMP-DX; certain vendor formats are accepted and converted to JCAMP-DX by ChemConverter.ChemotionPassing quality checks, curation/review prior publishing
HPLC-UV-VISJCAMP-DX; certain vendor formats are accepted and converted to JCAMP-DX by ChemConverter.ChemotionPassing quality checks, curation/review prior publishing
Size Exclusion ChromatographyJCAMP-DX; certain vendor formats are accepted and converted to JCAMP-DX by ChemConverter.ChemotionPassing quality checks, curation/review prior publishing
Thermogravimetric AnalysisJCAMP-DX; certain vendor formats are accepted and converted to JCAMP-DX by ChemConverter.ChemotionPassing quality checks, curation/review prior publishing
Inorganic crystal structuresCrystallographic Information File (CIF)ICSDCrystal structure data available
Crystal structures of organic and molecular inorganic compoundsCrystallographic Information File (CIF) but other supporting file formats acceptedCSDCell parameters (single crystal), full coordinates (powder), in CIF format
Organic, inorganic and metal-organic molecular crystal structure dataprimarily Crystallographic Information File (CIF, other file formats supported and acceptedjoint CCDC/FIZ Access Structures ServiceAt least one CIF file must be included in the submission and structure factor data for all structures should be provided (if possible)
Simulation50 supported codesNOMADSimulation data recognition during upload
Multidisciplinaryformat-independentRADAR4ChemValidation against metadata schema
Enzyme kinetics datacurrently noneSTRENDA DBNone; STRENDA compliant, peer-reviewed data publishing
Intermolecular and supramolecular interactions of molecular systemsJSON (DataCite), CDX* (for 2D/3D molecule structure), PNG, proprietary formatsSuprabankNon-judgmental plausibility