Data are NOT Created with Proprietary Software
Proprietary software is software you need to buy a license for or pay a fee to access (e.g. SPSS). Ideally data will be archived in an open format (e.g. CSV).
The Use of Open Formats and Software
You use well-known and open formats and software, when possible. Examples of open formats include .txt, .CSV, XML and .PDF are all examples of open formats because they do not require special software to read.
Metadata Formats Metadata formats use shared vocabularies and/or ontologies.