Where to enter data

• Spreadsheet
• Text file
• Database

• Form (web or GUI databases)

• All of these are reasonable options
• When used properly spreadsheets or forms for databases can provide additional protection against bad data being entered
• Be careful of data conversion issues from spreadsheets

Show posts/papers on dates and gene names

• https://genomebiology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13059-016-1044-7
• https://datapub.cdlib.org/2014/04/10/abandon-all-hope-ye-who-enter-dates-in-excel/

Quality Assurance

• Stopping bad data from ever being entered

• Set rules about what values can be entered into a column

• Select an area of cells, most often a column
• Data -> Data Validation
• Choose the data type: Whole numbers (only that type can be entered)
• Set limitations
  • Use Data to set the type of limitation: between
  • Then use additional boxes to provide specifics: 1 and 10
• Add a message to explain what goes in a cell in Input Message

• Add a useful error message using Error Alert

• Make lists of choices
  • Allow = List
  • Enter list values in Sources: DM, DO, DS, PP, PM

Demo a data entry form in Excel or Google Forms

Do Exercise 2 - Data Entry Validation in Excel.

Quality Control

• Looking for bad data that has already been entered
• Sort
• Graph
• Check for realistic ranges of values