diff --git a/pyzebra/app/panel_param_study.py b/pyzebra/app/panel_param_study.py
index 1fdb777..fee3015 100644
--- a/pyzebra/app/panel_param_study.py
+++ b/pyzebra/app/panel_param_study.py
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ def create():
         scan_list = [s["idx"] for s in det_data]
         file_list = []
         for scan_id in scan_list:
-            _, f_name = os.path.split(det_data[scan_id]["meta"]["original_filename"])
+            _, f_name = os.path.split(det_data[scan_id]["original_filename"])
             file_list.append(f_name)
 
         scan_table_source.data.update(
diff --git a/pyzebra/ccl_io.py b/pyzebra/ccl_io.py
index 2516fa1..611c858 100644
--- a/pyzebra/ccl_io.py
+++ b/pyzebra/ccl_io.py
@@ -155,10 +155,7 @@ def parse_1D(fileobj, data_type):
                 counts.extend(map(float, next(fileobj).split()))
             s["Counts"] = np.array(counts)
 
-            # add metadata to each scan
-            s["meta"] = metadata
-
-            scan.append(s)
+            scan.append({**metadata, **s})
 
     elif data_type == ".dat":
         # skip the first 2 rows, the third row contans the column names
@@ -195,10 +192,7 @@ def parse_1D(fileobj, data_type):
 
         s["idx"] = 1
 
-        # add metadata to the scan
-        s["meta"] = metadata
-
-        scan.append(dict(s))
+        scan.append({**metadata, **s})
 
     else:
         print("Unknown file extention")
@@ -219,7 +213,7 @@ def export_1D(data, path, area_method=AREA_METHODS[0], lorentz=False, hkl_precis
     Scans with integer/real hkl values are saved in .comm/.incomm files correspondingly. If no scans
     are present for a particular output format, that file won't be created.
     """
-    zebra_mode = data[0]["meta"]["zebra_mode"]
+    zebra_mode = data[0]["zebra_mode"]
     file_content = {".comm": [], ".incomm": []}
 
     for scan in data:
diff --git a/pyzebra/merge_function.py b/pyzebra/merge_function.py
index d52c551..17cd9a4 100644
--- a/pyzebra/merge_function.py
+++ b/pyzebra/merge_function.py
@@ -77,11 +77,11 @@ def merge(scan1, scan2):
 
 
 def check_UB(dict1, dict2, precision=0.01):
-    return np.max(np.abs(dict1[0]["meta"]["ub"] - dict2[0]["meta"]["ub"])) < precision
+    return np.max(np.abs(dict1[0]["ub"] - dict2[0]["ub"])) < precision
 
 
 def check_zebramode(dict1, dict2):
-    if dict1[0]["meta"]["zebra_mode"] == dict2[0]["meta"]["zebra_mode"]:
+    if dict1[0]["zebra_mode"] == dict2[0]["zebra_mode"]:
         return True
     else:
         return False
@@ -128,12 +128,12 @@ def check_temp_mag(scan1, scan2):
 
 def merge_dups(dictionary):
 
-    if dictionary[0]["meta"]["data_type"] == "dat":
+    if dictionary[0]["data_type"] == "dat":
         return
 
-    if dictionary[0]["meta"]["zebra_mode"] == "bi":
+    if dictionary[0]["zebra_mode"] == "bi":
         angles = ["twotheta", "omega", "chi", "phi"]
-    elif dictionary[0]["meta"]["zebra_mode"] == "nb":
+    elif dictionary[0]["zebra_mode"] == "nb":
         angles = ["gamma", "omega", "nu"]
 
     precision = {
@@ -220,9 +220,9 @@ def unified_merge(dict1, dict2):
         return
 
     # decide angles
-    if dict1[0]["meta"]["zebra_mode"] == "bi":
+    if dict1[0]["zebra_mode"] == "bi":
         angles = ["twotheta", "omega", "chi", "phi"]
-    elif dict1[0]["meta"]["zebra_mode"] == "nb":
+    elif dict1[0]["zebra_mode"] == "nb":
         angles = ["gamma", "omega", "nu"]
 
     # precision of angles to check
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ def unified_merge(dict1, dict2):
         "omega": 5,
         "gamma": 0.1,
     }
-    if (dict1[0]["meta"]["data_type"] == "ccl") and (dict2[0]["meta"]["data_type"] == "ccl"):
+    if (dict1[0]["data_type"] == "ccl") and (dict2[0]["data_type"] == "ccl"):
         precision["omega"] = 0.05
 
     process(dict1, dict2, angles, precision)
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ def add_dict(dict1, dict2):
     Note: dict1 must be made from ccl, otherwise we would have to change the structure of loaded
     dat file"""
     try:
-        if dict1[0]["meta"]["zebra_mode"] != dict2[0]["meta"]["zebra_mode"]:
+        if dict1[0]["zebra_mode"] != dict2[0]["zebra_mode"]:
             print("You are trying to add scans measured with different zebra modes")
             return
     # this is for the qscan case
@@ -263,6 +263,6 @@ def add_dict(dict1, dict2):
         else:
             print(
                 "The file %s has alredy been added to %s"
-                % (dict2[0]["meta"]["original_filename"], dict1[0]["meta"]["original_filename"])
+                % (dict2[0]["original_filename"], dict1[0]["original_filename"])
             )
     return dict1
diff --git a/pyzebra/param_study_moduls.py b/pyzebra/param_study_moduls.py
index 090e66f..216c49d 100644
--- a/pyzebra/param_study_moduls.py
+++ b/pyzebra/param_study_moduls.py
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ def create_dataframe(dict1, variables):
 
     # populate the dict
     for keys in range(len(dict1)):
-        pull_dict["filenames"].append(dict1[0]["meta"]["original_filename"].split("/")[-1])
+        pull_dict["filenames"].append(dict1[0]["original_filename"].split("/")[-1])
 
         pull_dict["fit_area"].append(dict1[keys]["fit"]["fit_area"])
         pull_dict["int_area"].append(dict1[keys]["fit"]["int_area"])
@@ -306,9 +306,9 @@ def scan_dict(dict, precision=0.5):
     note: can be checked by "not d", true if empty
     """
 
-    if dict[0]["meta"]["zebra_mode"] == "bi":
+    if dict[0]["zebra_mode"] == "bi":
         angles = ["twotheta", "omega", "chi", "phi"]
-    elif dict[0]["meta"]["zebra_mode"] == "nb":
+    elif dict[0]["zebra_mode"] == "nb":
         angles = ["gamma", "omega", "nu"]
     else:
         print("Unknown zebra mode")