Towards data format standardization for X-ray absorption spectroscopy

A working group on data format standardization for X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) has recently formed under the auspices of the International X-ray Absorption Society and the XAFS Commission of the International Union of Crystallography. This group of beamline scientists and XAS practitioners has been tasked to propose data format standards to meet the needs of the world-wide XAS community. In this report, concepts for addressing three XAS data storage needs are presented: a single spectrum interchange format, a hierarchical format for multispectral X-ray experiment, and a relational database format for XAS data libraries.