It is well-known that the users of Photon and Neutron sources move between facilities and instruments, using and combining different techniques, together with simulation data, to further their science. They will thus collect data in different formats, with different sets of experimental parameters and with different organisation into data sets, depending on the local practices of the facility and instrument. If users wish to search, access, combine and compare, and apply analysis software to data collected from different sources, they will need to take these differences into account, which could be a significant barrier to the effective use of the data. Further, software developers have to deal with different formats and parameters, and future reusers of data would need to search and access data in different systems.

In this workshop, we will explore how to support and enable the interoperability of data within and across user facilities.This would include considering the following aspects:

  • Use of common metadata to describe experiments and data sets. 
  • Use of common data formats and packaging to link and incorporate data from different sources. 
  • Use of common vocabulary and parameter sets 
  • Common Tools and APIs toaccess data 

The aim of the workshop would be to identify and refine likely areas of work which could form a programme of work for a future RDA Working Group, within the scope of the RDA Interest Group on the Research Data Needs of Photon and Neutron Science.