Hystorian: A Processing Tool for Scanning Probe Microscopy and Other n-Dimensional Datasets

Research in materials science increasingly depends on the correlation of information from multiplie characterisation techniques, acquired in ever larger datasets. Efficient methods of processing and storing these complex datasets are therefore crucial. Reliably keeping track of data processing is also essential to conform with the goals of open science. Here, we introduce Hystorian, a generic materials science data analysis Python package built with processing traceability, reproducibility, and archival ability at its core. Proprietary data formats are converted into open hierarchical data format (HDF5) files, with both datasets and subsequent workflows automatically stored into a single location, thus allowing easy management of multiple data types. At present providing a basic scanning probe microscopy and x-ray diffraction analysis toolking, Hystorian is readily extensible to suit user needs and can wrap any existing processing functions, making it easy to append in an extant workflow.