Exploring your data

Purpose

understand the content, structure, extent, and type of data
format the data to optimize analysis
ensure data is represented correctly in Excel

Does your data look right?

Before analysis it’s important to make sure Excel is interpreting your data correctly. Do dates make sense? Are numbers treated like numbers or like text? How are responses to “choose all that apply” questions represented? Are there as many rows as you expected? Is there anything you need to filter out?

Click into each column and check the dropdown options in the Home -> Numbers section of the ribbon to make sure the right data type is selected. (The default in Excel is usually General.)

Formatting as a table

Formatting your data as a table makes it easier to explore, filter, and identify anomalies. Before doing so, ensure your data has only one header row:

Use CONCATENATE() formula, if necessary, to include all desired information in a new header row
Copy new header and paste onto itself as values to make sure formulas don’t break
Delete all redundant or unecessary header rows, leaving one only
Select Home -> Format as Table

Once your data is formatted as a table use the arrows in the header to browse/filter the contents.

By the end of this section…

only one header row in working copy of your data
unnecessary columns deleted or hidden (optional)
data formatted as a table
filtered unwanted responses