This repository contains the materials for the D-Lab Excel Logic, Formulas, and Analytical Workflows workshop.

Basic familiarity with Excel is recommended. Completion of D-Lab's Excel Fundamentals is helpful but not required.

Check out D-Lab's Workshop Catalog to browse all workshops, see what is running now, and review prerequisites.

This workshop focuses on using Excel formulas and functions to answer real-world data questions. Participants will learn how Excel evaluates calculations, how to use math, text, logic, lookup, and aggregation functions, and how to build formulas that are readable, scalable, and easier to check.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Understand how Excel evaluates formulas, functions, cell references, and order of operations.
• Use core function families, including math, text, logic, lookup, and aggregation functions.
• Translate real-world data questions into clear, verifiable calculation patterns.
• Write scalable formulas using autofill, absolute references, and named ranges.
• Prepare real data for analysis by checking data types, handling errors, and avoiding common formula pitfalls.
• Use Excel's built-in audit tools and AI assistance critically to review and troubleshoot analytical work.

We will use Microsoft Excel to go through the workshop materials. Microsoft Excel Desktop is recommended because it has the fullest feature set and best performance. Excel for the web may work for some activities, but some formula auditing, lookup, and data tools may be limited or appear differently.

Those in the UC Berkeley community have free access to Microsoft Excel through Microsoft 365:

https://software.berkeley.edu/microsoft-365-apps-enterprise

Before the workshop:

1. Make sure Microsoft Excel is installed on your computer or available through Microsoft 365.
2. Download the workshop workbook from this repository or the linked Google Drive folder.
3. Open the workbook in Microsoft Excel.
4. Open the workshop slides.
5. Save a copy of the workbook before beginning the exercises.

This repository includes:

• Workshop slides
• Excel workbook / dataset

D-Lab works with Berkeley faculty, research staff, and students to advance data-intensive social science and humanities research. D-Lab provides practical training, consulting, resources, and space to support learners at all skill levels. No programming, statistical, or computer science background is necessary to get started with many D-Lab services.

Visit the D-Lab homepage to learn more about upcoming workshops, consulting, data services, and working groups.

• Lance Santana