Recommendations and suggestions concerning the practical pressure scales are largely focused on the selection of primary calibrants, criteria for candidate reference points and choice of the equations of state. Meanwhile, preserving and archiving primary data related to pressure measurements need also a considerable attention. These data, as well as metadata items, corresponding to the pressure determination method are often missing in publications, making it difficult to track down the applied approach and validate the reliability of the results. Even if the relevant information is reported, it can be burdensome to follow if buried in the article or supplementary material. Therefore, only using a consistent standardized format one can conform to the requirements of modern science research data being FAIR, i.e. Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable [1].

In this respect, I will discuss existing and proposed data containers and structures which may be conveniently adapted to host specific information related to the pressure measurement. In particular, I will present the ongoing efforts of the International Union of Crystallography Commission on High Pressure to define the essential high pressure data and metadata descriptors and encompass them within Crystallographic Information Framework (CIF), a widely accepted and robust standard file structure for the archiving and distribution of crystallographic information [2]. Noteworthy, the remarkable versatility and flexibility of CIF make it a suitable medium for high pressure research data exchange, including non-crystallographic data.

[1] M. D. Wilkinson et al., Sci. Data 2016, 3, 160018.

[2] S. R. Hall, B. McMahon (eds.), International Tables for Crystallography, Vol. G, Definition and exchange of crystallographic data. Springer, Dordrecht, 1995.