Getting your Data Into a Matrix

You have collected your data - what now?

What Can Happen to Data

Fighting Information Entropy

What Would Your Next Steps Be?

Building an Environment for Data Storytelling

  1. Building of a good spreadsheet

  2. More than just data…

  3. Is this a good spreadsheet?

You, After Recording Data

Spreadsheets Make the Wold Go ’Round

Within This Grid Is Power

Two Main Styles of Data

  • Long: Each row is a single measurement
    • Many measurements per observation
    • Multple columns describing specific observation and measurement


  • Wide: Each row is a complete observation
    • Many measurement types are columns

Wide and Long Data

Wide Data

  • One Observation per row
  • All data fields are columns

Long Data

  • Each measurement 1 row
  • All information about measurement in row

Hybrid Data

  • Neither long nor wide
  • Each row has multiple measurements…but also some unique qualities
  • Each row is not a complete observation

Efficiency May Drive Data Sheet Design

Efficiency May Drive Data Sheet Design

Syncing Data Collection and Entry

Wide or long?

Good Rules for Data Entry

  • Columns should have only 1 type of data

  • One thing per cell

  • No bare space

  • Consistent NA character

  • See Browman and Woo 2017 for many others

A note on filenames

  • Be descriptive

  • Make it machine readable (no spaces)

  • Date it

Initial Workbook Creation

Initial Workbook Creation

Wide or long or hybrid - your call
Browman and Woo 2017

Can have multiple sheets with linked columns

Browman and Woo 2017

Just say no to blank cells

  • Use NA, -, ., or something else standard
Browman and Woo 2017

Make Variable Names Simple

Browman and Woo 2017

Warning: Dates

Do not use highlighting, formulae, etc

Browman and Woo 2017



OK, OK, I’ve Mastered Data Entry. Is that All?




Is Recording Data From a Sheet Enough?

Building an Environment for Data Storytelling

  1. Building of a good spreadsheet

  2. More than just data…

  3. Is this a good spreadsheet?

Managing Data to Fight Information Entropy

## Metadata

Metadata: Data Reporting

  • WHO created the data?
  • WHAT is the content of the data?
  • WHEN were the data created?
  • WHERE is it geographically?
  • HOW were the data developed?
  • WHY were the data developed?

Metadata Tab

Get Extensive with Metadata

Browman and Woo 2017

A Simply Typology of Metadata

  • Numerical - Continuous - Integers - Ordinal

  • Controlled Vocabulary - Certain defined words with defined meanings - Has a reference ‘dictionary’

  • Dates/Times - Many formats – POSIX

  • Raw Text

  • Other Media

Tab for Controlled Vocabularies

Tab for Recording Changes after Initial Entry

Building an Environment for Data Storytelling

  1. Building of a good spreadsheet

  2. More than just data…

  3. Is this a good spreadsheet?

Is this wide, long, other, or bad?

What is bad practice here?

What is wrong here?

What is bad practice here?