More about spreadsheet errors and fixes
Nothing is more stressful than when you are working on a deadline and you are stuck with errors. The following are checklists to help avoid as many mistakes as we can.
- Headers should be clearly labelled in a way that makes sense within the context, and make them bold so you can see them easily Make use of sticky headers options by freezing them so you know what is in each column, even when scrolling
- Use a font that is easy to read
- Use lots of comments
- Save versions
- Leave the raw data in one tab, make use of tabs to separate different aspects of your analysis
- Filter data to make your spreadsheet less complex and busy.
- Start every formula and function with an equal sign (=).
- Use the correct sign for multiplication (*) and division (/)
- Pause often to check your work
- Pause often to make sure that you ahven’tlost sight of your goals
- Always close with matching parenthesis or quotation marks
- Create a tab with just the raw data, and make use of tabs to organize your data
