Useful Excel Tips Copyright (c) 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies. This material is intended solely for educational use by licensed users of LearningStats. It may not be copied or resold for profit.

Five Excel Tips for Statistics Format cells for clarity Name each worksheet tab Insert cell comments Use range names Annotate your work with text boxes

Cell Format Rounding makes numbers easier to read. Adjust fonts, color, and borders to improve readability or emphasis.

Worksheet Tab Names Double-click a tab to edit its name. Short, descriptive tab names help you organize your work.

Cell Comments Cell comments help you or others remember what is in the data cells.

Cell Comments Step 1: On the menu bar, click Insert > Comment

Cell Comments Step 2: Write your comment. You can use any font or color. Here, we used Symbol font for the m and s to get m and s. To edit the comment later, click the Insert menu.

Range Names Step 1: Highlight the Cell or Range of Cells You Want to Name

Range Names Step 2: On the menu bar, click Insert > Names > Define

Range Names Step 3: Type the name you want to use for the cell or cell range

Why Name Cells? There is no need to remember a cell range like B4:B18 (it can just be called Weight). Cell B20 is named Mean and cell B21 is named Std_Dev. This simplifies formulas (and prevents errors).

Text Boxes Insert text boxes (or other AutoShapes) for longer explanations. Click the text box to change its color, font, etc.