Excel Formatting Guide for R

1. Tidy Data Structure

Each row = one observation, each column = one variable:

PatientID	Age	EyePressure	Diagnosis
001	45	21.5	Normal
002	53	27.3	Glaucoma Suspect
003	60	30.1	Glaucoma

2. Variable Naming Rules

• Use short, clear names.
• Avoid spaces and special characters. Use underscores (_) or camelCase.
• Don't start with numbers.

Bad: 1st Measure, Eye Pressure!, #Diagnosis
Good: first_measure, eye_pressure, diagnosis

3. Consistent Data Types

• Numeric columns for measurements.
• Text (categorical) columns with consistent labels.

4. No Merged Cells

Unmerge all cells. Each cell should contain one value only.

5. Single Header Row

Use only one header row. Do not include titles or notes above it.

6. No Blank Rows or Columns

Delete any blank rows or columns in your spreadsheet.

7. No Calculated Fields

If using formulas, copy and paste as values before saving.

8. Save in CSV Format

File → Save As → CSV (Comma delimited) (*.csv)

9. Avoid Metadata and Decorations

Remove colors, comments, hyperlinks, and images.

10. Test the File in R

This helps verify correct import and data types.