standardnu

Standardnu is a hypothetical open standard for numeric data interchange that standardizes the representation of numeric values, uncertainty, units, and provenance across scientific datasets. It aims to improve reproducibility, data integration, and interoperability when combining data from diverse sources.

Origins and governance: Proposed by the Standardnu Initiative, a collaboration of data science, metrology, and open-data researchers in the early 2020s. The concept centers on a core data model and optional extensions, with a JSON-based encoding known as Standardnu-JSON (SNJ) and a schema language (SN-Schema).

Core features: explicit numeric types with defined precision and sign; arrays and nested records; units via a central Unit Registry; uncertainty described by bounds or distributions; provenance fields such as source and timestamps; rich metadata; and schema-driven validation. Interoperability is emphasized through converters to existing formats.

Adoption and software support: Pilot integrations exist in some data portals and projects. Libraries in several languages provide SNJ read/write capabilities; migration remains uneven, balancing benefits of interoperability against transition costs.

Criticisms: Added complexity, governance concerns over the Unit Registry and uncertainty representations, performance overhead, and potential fragmentation from divergent extensions.

Relation to other standards: Designed to complement JSON, CSV, NetCDF, and RDF workflows, and to integrate with PROV and unit standards such as UCUM and UDUNITS.