GUIDE ON HOW TO USE MICROSOFT EXCEL FOR ANALYSING RESEARCH DATA

By
Dahiru Baba

Microsoft Excel provides a set of data analysis tools called the Analysis ToolPak that you can be use to save steps when you develop complex statistical data analyses. You provide the data and parameters for each analysis; the tool uses the appropriate statistical or macro functions and then displays the results in an output table. Some tools generate charts in addition to output tables. However, many scientist do not know how to use those package so that they analysed their research data. As it a popular saying that, data that was not processed is just a figures until when properly processed that it become information for decision making and policy issues. The Microsoft excel which is common in all computers, provide scientist with a wide range of powerful yet
easy to use statistical analyses package, specifically designed to meet the needs of researchers, without requiring in-depth knowledge of the math behind the procedures performed. The statistical procedure you use to analyze a given data set depends on the goals of your analysis and the nature of your data. This guide will demonstrate how to use the various data analysis application in Microsoft excel to analyse wide range of research data, such as Regression, Chi-square, Anova, Correlation analysis, Covariance, Ranking and Percentile, test of significance e.t.c. The need to write a guide on this rise from the consideration that some sophisticated statistical analysis package such as SPSS, LIMDEP, Sigmaplot, EVIEWS, NLogit, Frontier 4.1, Shazam e.t.c were although available but most scientist are not familiar with their usage, some are command base applications, or some may require to buy that through licensing which is some time difficult to acquire. But the Microsoft excel being of one of the bundle application found in all Microsoft office, is common, cheap, and easy to use.