Linked Open Data for Spreadsheet Formats

A spreadsheet is an electronic document in which data arranged in grid-like rows and columns can be manipulated and be acted upon by formulae. Spreadsheet software may allow for multiple interacting sheets, i.e., a workbook, and can display data as text, numerals, symbols, or in graphical form. Spreadsheet files may not only consist of the data, but also may contain charts or visualizations based on the data and formulae. Each cell may contain either raw data or formulas that automatically calculate and display a value based on the contents of other cells from the same or other pages/sheets, as well as external data sources.

The significant properties of spreadsheet records are documented in the Structured Data: Spreadsheets Preservation Plan, which can be used as test criteria for tools and processes used in format transformations. 

NARA makes its Linked Open Data available in Resource Description Framework Terse RDF Triple Language or RDF Turtle (.ttl files). These files can be opened in any text editor. The Digital Preservation Framework as Linked Open Data includes the same elements as are available in the version of the Preservation Plans on GitHub.

These plans are not exhaustive nor universally applicable proposed actions and recommended or endorsed tools: these represent file formats and variant versions in NARA holdings, the current NARA risk assessment, processing capabilities, and tools in use at NARA.