title: A simple spreadsheet-based, MIAME-supportive format for microarray data: MAGE-TAB.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sharing of microarray data within the research community has been greatly facilitated by the development of the disclosure and communication standards MIAME and MAGE-ML by the MGED Society. However, the complexity of the MAGE-ML format has made its use impractical for laboratories lacking dedicated bioinformatics support.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We propose a simple tab-delimited, spreadsheet-based format, MAGE-TAB, which will become a part of the MAGE microarray data standard and can be used for annotating and communicating microarray data in a MIAME compliant fashion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MAGE-TAB will enable laboratories without bioinformatics experience or support to manage, exchange and submit well-annotated microarray data in a standard format using a spreadsheet. The MAGE-TAB format is self-contained, and does not require an understanding of MAGE-ML or XML.
authors.affiliation: European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK. rayner@ebi.ac.uk
authors.forename: Tim F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Rayner
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rocca-Serra
authors.forename: Paul T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Spellman
authors.forename: Helen C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Causton
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Farne
authors.forename: Ele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Holloway
authors.forename: Rafael A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Irizarry
authors.forename: Junmin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Donald S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Maier
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Kjell
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Quackenbush
authors.forename: Gavin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sherlock
authors.forename: Christian J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Stoeckert
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Patricia L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Whetzel
authors.forename: Farrell
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wymore
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Parkinson
authors.forename: Ugis
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Sarkans
authors.forename: Catherine A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Ball
authors.forename: Alvis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brazma
mesh_terms: D019295:Computational Biology / Q000379:methods*; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D006801:Humans; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D012984:Software