The application of spreadsheets to data analysis in biology
Ian D. Graham · Journal of Biological Education · 1987
Rapid analysis of data is useful in the laboratory or tutorial situation. A discussion of a graph or parameters derived from a line of best fit may help to identify and clarify experimental or procedural difficulties. Microcomputers in the classroom or laboratory can be excellent tools in such situations but the time needed to produce appropriate software can be a major disincentive to such work. This paper describes, with examples, the relevance of spreadsheets (purpose-built applications packages for data manipulation and presentation) to this problem. It is shown that, with few computing or programming skills, it is possible to use a single, powerful software package for many purposes. With minimal cost in time or money, a range of purpose-designed spreadsheet templates can be produced, applicable to many data analysis problems.