A flat file is a type of data structure that stores data in a plain text format, such as CSV, TSV, or TXT. A flat file consists of one or more records, each containing one or more fields, separated by a delimiter, such as a comma, tab, or space. A flat file does not have any hierarchical or relational structure, and does not support any complex queries or operations1.

A flat file may be the best data structure for the analyst to use in this scenario, because:

The analyst collects ten data points from 1,000 specimens, which means the data is relatively small and simple, and can be easily stored and processed in a flat file.

The analyst will not need any additional data to complete the analysis, which means the data is static and does not require any updates or modifications.

The analyst will not need to retrieve information by specifier, which means the data does not require any indexing or searching by key or value.