Introduction to Data and Excel:
Data, in various forms, is becoming more commonly deposited in repositories both in its own right and as supporting material for other work.
There are more complex version control issues with data that text, for example, and many creators of data use version control software to keep track of their versions, as mentioned on the previous page.
VIF recommends that if authors submit data to a repository, they:
- Inform the repository exactly what version or period of time the data relates to
- What other work the data is referenced by
- What other forms the data exists in (eg is this an edited set of results, a combination of other sets of data and so on).
- Embed version information into the object itself (see below)
Title Sheet:
Similar to the recommended good practice VIF has made for text documents and PowerPoint slides, it is also easy to have an equivalent title sheet in a spreadsheet. The framework suggests adding version information on an extra tab or sheet called 'about':
Download this example here: aboutexample.xls
File > Properties:
Excel also contains the same options for adding properties to a file as other Microsoft Office Programs. Please see below for a recommended usage of these properties fields (accessed by clicking File then Properties):
Download this example here: aboutexample.xls (17kb).