Spreadsheet analysis
Original research draft · October 2026
Working pattern
[Analyst], [Workbook title] [sheet/cell or table] ([version/date]) (derived from [input]).
Capture from the source
Workbook; inputs; formulas; settings; output; version
Check before you use it
Reproduce the result from preserved inputs and distinguish calculated from source-reported values.
Common error: A pasted value can survive after the supporting formula or input changes.
Completed example
Analyst, workbook, counts, and cells are fictional. The arithmetic is a supplied training calculation and does not report actual institutional performance.
Tessa Vale, Register Review Rates, Summary!B7 (workbook TRAIN-XLS-78-v3, June 2, 2025) (derived from Inputs!B2:C5, TRAIN-W78).
Read the supplied source facts
Fictional packet TRAIN-W78 contains analyst Tessa Vale's workbook Register Review Rates, version TRAIN-XLS-78-v3 dated June 2, 2025. Inputs!B2:B5 holds accepted counts 8, 12, 5, and 15; Inputs!C2:C5 holds eligible counts 10, 15, 10, and 15. Summary!B7 divides the total accepted count by the total eligible count. A separate pasted cell shows 77.5%, the unweighted mean of the four row percentages. The assignment asks for the overall acceptance rate across eligible records. The workbook preserves the source-count table and the formula used in B7.
Why this works
The workbook, version, sheet, and cell identify the output, while the input range identifies the calculation's basis. The accepted counts total 40 and eligible counts total 50, producing an overall rate of 80%. The 77.5% figure weights each row equally and answers a different question. Explain that distinction in the prose rather than assuming that all displayed percentages are interchangeable. Preserve formulas and calculation settings as well as visible values; a pasted result can remain after inputs change. The citation should make clear that the rate is the analyst's calculation, not a value directly stated in the source-count table.
When the facts change
If the question asks for the average office rate with equal weight per office, the unweighted calculation may be the intended measure, but it must be labeled accordingly. If one row is excluded, document the reason and update both numerator and denominator. When exporting the workbook to a static PDF, retain the editable file and formula audit so the cited cell's result remains reproducible.
Apply the receiving court or publication’s requirements. These working forms do not establish citation permission, precedential weight, or support for a legal proposition.