Use this section to explain any standards that will be used for the format of your data products or for the metadata used to describe your data. (Metadata is extra information that you provide that makes your data understandable and discoverable to a wider audience. It can provide information about when and how the data was collected, who created it, tools used to collect it, any software necessary to analyze the data, etc.)

• Expand on the formats of your data products. Is there a common or open file format used in your discipline?

• What metadata/extra documentation is necessary for someone else to use your data? How will you create or capture this information? What form will this metadata be in (e.g. a readme file)?

• Which metadata standards will you use? Certain disciplines have their own accepted metadata standards; there are also general metadata standards that can be helpful. 

• What tools/software are required to read and make sense of the data?

• Do you have a data dictionary or other form of controlled vocabulary that should be shared to make sense of your data?