Example methods and apparatus to manage process control data are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes receiving a request for process data associated with a field device, searching a database for a descriptor file that includes the requested process data, and accessing the descriptor file to retrieve the process data to display within an application, wherein the process data is retrieved using a schema that specifies that the process data is located at an object referenced by a file entry that is part of a section of a file body included within the file. In the example method, the object may include at least one of an expression to calculate a value using the process data in a mathematical formula or a display transformation to instruct how the process data is to be displayed.