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Data Cleaning with Excel

Through this guide you will learn tricks and tips to better clean and organize tabular data using Microsoft Excel.

Generate Summary Statistics in Excel

Summary statistics as generated by Excel are useful for a quick preliminary analysis. In addition they can be used to check for errant data values.

Generate summary statistics for a number-formatted column

  • In the Data Tab, choose Data Analysis, then Descriptive Statistics
  • Enter the input range
  • Check the summary statistics box

Screen Clipping showing the Descriptive Statistics dialog box that is accessible through Excel via the Data Analysis button on the ribbon's Data Tab, under Descriptive Statistics

Your statistics will open in a new worksheet by default. You have the option of having them populate to a new workbook.

Screen Clipping showing the output of Summary Statistics taken over a single column of data.

A mean or median that is far different than expected could indicate errors in data entry in the selected column.