Clean the table before you chart
A marks table has a repeated row and a blank. One mark says 540 out of 100.
- Eight rows arrived. Three need care.
- Check the original sheet. Roll 4 is 61. Roll 5 is 54.
- Remove the copy of roll 3. Seven rows are left.
- Now count by group. 1 + 4 + 2 = 7.
The rule
Remove copies and fix errors and gaps before you count or chart.
A cell is one box in a table. A gap is a blank cell. Fill it from the source, which is the original mark sheet. An error is a value that cannot be right. Go back to the source and fix it. A duplicate is the same row twice. Remove the copy, because it would be counted twice.
If the source cannot tell you, mark the cell as missing. Do not invent a mark. Experts may fill a gap with a careful estimate. An estimate is a rough value worked out from known facts. Experts tell the reader it is an estimate. If you leave a value out of the count, say so too.
When the table is clean, sort it and group it. Putting data in order and in groups is organising it. Then draw the chart.
Tap the steps. Count only when the table is clean.
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