The Centre for Investigative Journalism
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Data Journalism: Spreadsheets 1-3. Hands-on. [B+I]

Hands-on. Beginner-Intermediate.

This three-part hands-on express data journalism course will introduce you to the basics of data analysis in Google Sheets. Suitable for beginners (part I) and intermediates (parts II and III).
If you are a beginner, we recommend that you take the whole course.

Spreadsheets I: the basics [Beginner]

This introductory course is not about software, heavy number crunching or coding. It’s about developing what we call a “data state of mind.” No prior knowledge is required. You will see how working with data is similar to any other form of reporting, and we will cover the core concepts that help you identify opportunities for incorporating data into your reporting. You will come away with a solid grasp of basic data journalism concepts and will understand the foundations of working with data in Google Sheets, setting you up to take your skills to a higher level in the following sessions.

Spreadsheets II: pivot tables [Intermediate]

To take this class you should be comfortable with Excel or Google Sheets to the level of sorting and filtering. Want to take your spreadsheet skills to the next level? Have you ever opened a spreadsheet and been overwhelmed by the sheer size of the dataset in front of you? Well, in this session we give you the answer: pivot tables are a dream come true for those seeking to summarise and organise large amounts of data in just a few clicks.

Spreadsheets III: advanced formulas [Intermediate]

To take this class you should be comfortable with Excel or Google Sheets to the level of sorting and filtering. This session is all about formulas. If you’ve ever needed to split a name, find out if a certain word appears in a cell or merge data from one dataset into another this is the session for you! We’ll take you on a journey all the way from the basic formulas, to the slightly more complex ones. You’ll learn how to manipulate and clean your data so that it’s ready for your analysis.

Technical Requirements

Bring your laptop and make sure you have a Google (Gmail) account. If you don’t, use this link to set up a temporary account before class. https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/27441?hl=en

 

28 June 2023 – Data Journalism: Spreadsheets. Hands-on. Beginner - Intermediate.

12:00–13:00
Spreadsheets I: the basics. Beginner.
14:00–15:00
Spreadsheets II: pivot tables. Intermediate.
15:10–16:10
Spreadsheets III: advanced formulas. Intermediate.

Carmen Aguilar García

Carmen Aguilar García is an award-winning journalist, currently part of The Guardian Data Project team. Before joining the Guardian, she was the first data journalist at Sky News, working on a wide range of topics to find data stories, and covering the Covid pandemic.

Helena Bengtsson

Helena Bengtsson is the data journalism editor at Gota Media, a regional publishing company in the south of Sweden with 13 local titles. She previously worked as the data journalism editor at Sveriges Television, Sweden’s national television broadcaster, for 27 years and has also served as Editor, Data Projects of the Guardian UK between 2014-2017.
  • 28 June 2023 12.00–16.10
Location: PSH 314
Course
Beginner
Intermediate
Data