Data auditing finding errors when data have been entered already …. Wim Buysse – ICRAF-ILRI Research Methods Group August 2004 Research Methods Group

The error Research Methods Group

Error checking approach 1: AutoFilter Click in the row heading to select the row with short titles Research Methods Group

Error checking approach 1 Now choose Data => Filter => AutoFilter Research Methods Group

Error checking approach 1 Discover the error in the drop-down list Research Methods Group

Error checking approach 1 Select and correct Research Methods Group

Error checking approach 1 When to use AutoFilter ? –Especially useful for checking factors that have a limited number of levels such as: replications blocks Treatments Etc. Research Methods Group

Error checking approach 2: Auditing tools Type somewhere in the spreadsheet a list with possible treatment levels Research Methods Group

Error checking approach 2 Select the data to check and choose Data => Validation to allow only values from that list Research Methods Group

Error checking approach 2 now choose Tools => Formula Auditing => Show Formula Auditing Toolbar Research Methods Group

Error checking approach 2 Click on the “Circle Invalid Data” button; the error will be marked Research Methods Group

Error checking approach 2 Select the correct value from the in-cell drop-down list Research Methods Group

Other Formula Auditing tools Tracing the “precedents” of a formula Research Methods Group

Other Formula Auditing tools Tracing the “dependents” of a cell to see if it is used in any formula Research Methods Group

Other Formula Auditing tools Tracing an error Research Methods Group

Other Formula Auditing tools … and let the computer give you all kinds of “help” on this error … Research Methods Group

Conclusion AutoFilter is a faster approach for finding and correcting errors in lists with repeated elements such as factor levels. Research Methods Group