Part II Collecting and analysing data Chapter 8: Analysing data: A short introduction to working with spreadsheets KEY QUESTIONS • How can spreadsheets help us analyse the data that we have collected? • What are some of the basic features of spreadsheets and how are they used? • What are some of the key mathematical concepts to consider when analysing data? INTRODUCTION As discussed in Chapter 5, there is a difference between data and evidence. To become evidence, data needs to be analysed and interpreted. For our purposes, this means asking: What does the data tell us about relevant human rights norms, as spelled out in OPERA? Sometimes data can be read and interpreted quite easily. Other times, the “dataset” (the primary or secondary data gathered) becomes too large to be read easily in one or two pages. When this is the case, a spreadsheet can be a useful tool. Entering data into a spreadsheet makes it possible to organize, rearrange and analyse it in more detail, in order to test hypotheses about how different pieces of data relate to one another. Working with spreadsheets can be a new skill for many human rights practitioners. In fact, limited experience with spreadsheets is commonly identified as a reason why NHRIs do not integrate quantitative data into their monitoring activities. This chapter introduces the basic skills necessary for using spreadsheets and outlines some of the basic mathematical concepts that can be used to analyse data in a spreadsheet. It is intended to be introductory. Nevertheless, increasing your familiarity with these tools can help you feel more confident to work with numbers, better equipping you to analyse the data yourself or to collaborate with statisticians and others to undertake such an analysis. 8.1. SPREADSHEET BASICS A spreadsheet is essentially a table of “cells” arranged into “rows” and “columns”. Columns are normally represented by letters (e.g. “A”, “B”, “C”), while rows are represented by numbers (e.g. “1”, “2”, “3”). A single cell can be referred to by its row and column; “C10”, for instance. There are a variety of spreadsheet programs and applications available that you can use, such as Microsoft Excel, Calc from OpenOffice or Google Sheets. Microsoft Excel will be used in this chapter. 8.1.1. Setting up a new spreadsheet The first step is to create a new spreadsheet. A new worksheet will automatically open when Excel is launched. If a new sheet does not automatically open, you can create one by clicking on the Office Button>New>Blank Workbook. As soon as the new sheet is open, save it. Chapter 8: Analysing data: A short introduction to working with spreadsheets | 83