Some of the best practices for contribution are as follows:
- Data should be stored in widely used file formats that are suitable for machine processing.
- Released dataset should clearly reflect “what is recorded about a particular subject”.
- Timely release of datasets is one of the important factors to maximize the utility of information people can obtain.
- Data should be provided in freely available formats which can be accessed without the need for a software license.
- Data elements should be in de-normalized form.