Microsoft Excel 2007: A How-to Guide

Prepared by

Erica Hughes Illinois criminal Justice Information Authority

2

Important information

Before creating a chart, data must be entered manually into Excel. Numeric data is required to create charts in Excel. Once data has been entered, right click on each cell in which you put your data (the actual numbers you entered). A menu should then pop up. Go to and click on format cells in the menu list, and then go under the tab labeled numbers. This will tell you what format the data are in. If numeric is not checked, then select it and change the data to the numeric format. Click OK to set the format and go back to the data.

Exceptions to this rule relate to X and Y axis titles (column titles and row labels). In these cells, the formatting may be different. For example, if you want to compare regions across Illinois, the cells that label the data for each region would be text. In addition, it is important to remember how a date should be entered. Use a single quite prior to entering the number to indicate year. If you’ve done this correctly, the number will be aligned left in the designated cell. Numeric numbers are aligned right.

In general, if you want to make a change to a chart/graph that has already been created, take your mouse and hover over the area you want to change, right click, and then select properties. More often than not, you’ll find what you need here.

Instructions for creating Excel charts

Here is a worksheet that shows the rate of youth on probation in three geographic locations across Illinois. You need a chart that shows how each geographic area compares to against the others, year by year from 2006 through 2010.

1. With your mouse, select all data to be included in the chart, including labels for your

X and Y axes (step 1, figure 1). In Figure 1, the X axis labels (column titles) are the years 2006 – 2010, and the Y axis labels (row labels) are the different regional categories. Make sure that the upper left hand corner cell is empty, because this is how Excel knows that the age categories and years are labels and not data to be charted.

2. Next, click the Insert tab, and in the Charts group, click the Column button (step 2, figure 1). You could select another chart type, but column charts are commonly used to compare items and will get your point across.

3. After you click Column, you’ll see a number of column chart types to choose from.

Click Clustered Column, the first column chart in the 2-D column list (step 3, figure 1). A ScreenTip is displays the chart type name when you rest the pointer over any

3

chart type. The ScreenTip also provides a description of the chart type and gives you information about when to use each one.

Figure 1

For this chart, row titles (region) in the spreadsheet are the chart legend text and column titles (years) are the text that go along the bottom of the chart. Figure 2 is the graph created with the steps used in Figure 1 (see below).

Empty cell

Step 1 Highlight data

Step 2 Click Insert tab

Step 3 Select chart

type

4

Figure 2

Tip: If you want to change the chart type after you’ve created your chart (see text bubbles in Figure 2), click inside the chart. Under Chart Tools (1), on the Design tab (2), in the Type group (3), click Change Chart Type (4), and select another type of chart.

1. Chart tools 4. Change chart type

2. Design tab

3. Type group

5

Figure 3

In figure 3, the central region (represented by the red bar in the middle) had the highest number of incidents reported. Data for each region appears in three separate columns, one for each year. The height of each chart is proportional to the value in the cell that it represents. The chart shows how the regions stack up against each other, year by year. Each row of region data has a different color in the chart. The chart legend, created from the row titles in the worksheet (the name of each region), tells which color represents the data for each region. The north region, for example, is the blue and left-most column for each year. The column titles from the worksheet (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010) are at the bottom of the chart. On the left side of the chart, Excel has created a scale of numbers to help interpret the column heights.

6

Tip: Any changes that are made to the worksheet data after the chart is created are instantly shown in the chart. For example, if you determine that you entered an incorrect number onto the worksheet, you can correct the data and the graph will reflect that change. Once your chart has been created, you can edit and make changes using the Design, Layout, and Format tabs. The three editing tabs (Design, Layout, and Format) allow you to make different kinds of changes. Roughly speaking, Design allows you to make changes to the basic options regarding the chart (whether it's a worksheet or an object, what kind of chart is it, etc.), Layout allows you to add/edit/delete chart items like the title, legend, and so on, and Format allows you to change the appearance of the chart.

NOTE: If you want to change anything on your chart, simply point to the part you wish to change and right click. Then, select Format XXX (e.g. axis, plot area, chart title). To format the PLOT AREA Point anywhere on the plot area which is shaded white, but make sure you DO NOT point on a gridline or one of the bars representing the data. Right click, and then select Format Plot Area as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4

2. Select “Format Plot Area”

1. Select plot area by right clicking

here

7

Picture 1 in Figure 5 is what you should see after you right click on the plot area and then select Format Plot Area. Automatic is the default setting and shows a white plot area. Below that is an example where the Fill option has been used to change the color of the plot area.

Figure 5

8

Note: The list provided allows you to manipulate the border of the plot area which is defined by the area highlighted when you click on the plot area of the graph. You can change the color and style of the border of the plot area, which DOES NOT affect the border of the entire graph itself. To format the CHART AREA To change the format of the chart area (blue part of the graph in the example below): right click on the area, select Format Chart Area and you’ll see a list of options as seen in the previous example (Fill, Border color, Border styles, etc.) and the same options within that list as above (no fill, solid fill, gradient fill, etc).

Figure 6

To format AXIS ADD TITLES. To change the axis, click on the numbers along the axis (the X or Y), and then right click and select Format Axis. You’ll see a dialogue box with several options: Axis options, which allows you to control the scale range, reverse value order, etc. Number allows you to manipulate the numbers on the axis themselves. For example, if you look at the figure below, you’ll see the options listed and the Number option selected. From there, you can add a type of value (general number, currency, percentage, etc). The General Number option allows you to add decimal points and commas.

1. Right click to select chart area

2. Select “Format Chart

Area”

9

Figure 7

To format the LEGEND If you want to change the look of the legend, simply move your mouse/curser over the legend and right click. Then select Format Legend. You can change the location (top, bottom, etc) as well as the colors representing the bars. Note: If you change the color of an item in the legend, it will automatically change the color of the bars in the graph represented by that item.

1. Select axis by right clicking

here

2. Select “Format Axis”

10

Figure 8

NOTE: Using the Format Legend dialogue box, you can do such things as change the location of the legend (for example, to be under the graph), put a border around the legend, color the inside of the legend, etc. To format the DATA SERIES (look of bars/lines in graph) and add DATA LABELS If you want to change the colors of the bars displayed, simply move your mouse/curser over one of the bars and right click. Then select Format Data Series. Under the Patterns tab, you’ll find different colors to choose from (similar to the grid of colors in the example above). Simply choose the color you want the bars to be, and then click OK.

1. Select legend by right clicking

here

2. Select “Format Legend”

11

Figure 9

If you look in Add Data Labels in the drop down menu, you can also add variable names or data values to the graph. Again, select which you prefer (usually data values, as the labels are noted in the legend and having both tends to look crowded and busy). Note: If you change the color of a bar in the graph, the item associated with that bar in the legend will change also. Add titles to charts including chart titles and axis titles To make a chart easier to understand, you can add chart and axis titles. To apply a chart layout that contains titles, do the following:

1. Click anywhere in the chart. This displays the Chart Tools tool bar, which shows the Design, Layout, and Format tabs.

2. On the Design tab, in the Chart Layouts group, click a layout that contains titles.

1. Select bar by right clicking

here

2. Select Format Data Series

Add Data Labels in drop

down menu

12

Figure 10

To add a chart title manually, do the following:

1. Click anywhere in the chart – This displays the Chart Tools tool bar and adds the Design, Layout, and Format tabs.

2. On the Layout tab, in the Labels group, click Chart Title, then select the option you prefer. Typically, the Above Chart option is used as it resizes the chart and prevents the title from blocking other parts of the graph from view.

3. In the Chart Title text box that appears in the chart, type the text you want. NOTE: To start a new line, press ENTER. To insert a line break, click to place the cursor where you want to break the line and then press ENTER.

To format the text in the title box, do the following: 1. Click in the title box and then select the text that you want to format. 2. On the Mini Toolbar, click the formatting options that you want.

NOTE: you can also use the formatting buttons on the Ribbon (Home tab, Font group), which is a component of the Microsoft Office interface. To format the whole title, you can right-click it, click Format Chart Title, and then select the formatting option you want.

The size of the title box adjusts to the size of the text. You cannot resize the title box, and the text may become truncated if it does not fit in the maximum size. Also, You can

Chart and axis

titles in layout Select layout

style

13

only add one title to a chart. If you want to use a second title or a sub title, you can add a text box to the chart and move it to the location that you want. Finally, you can manually move the title to another location by dragging the title box to the location you want.

Figure 11

To add axis titles manually, do the following:

1. Click anywhere in the chart to which you want to add axis titles. 2. On the Layout tab, in the Labels group, click Axis Titles

Select position and style of graph title

14

Figure 12

1. To add a title to a primary horizontal (category) axis, click Primary Horizontal Axis Title, and then click the option that you want. If the chart has a secondary horizontal axis, you can also click Secondary Horizontal Axis Title

2. To add a title to a primary vertical (value) axis, click Primary Vertical Axis Title or Secondary Vertical Axis Title, and then click the option you want.

3. In the Axis Title text box that appears in the chart, type the text you want. Like the chart title, you can start a new line by pressing ENTER. To insert a line break, click to place the cursor where you want to break the line and then press ENTER.

To format the text in the title box, do the following: 1. Click in the title box and then select the text that you want to format 2. On the Mini Toolbar, click the formatting options you want.

NOTE: You can also use the formatting buttons on the Ribbon (Home tab, Font group), which is a component of the Microsoft Office interface. To format the whole title, you can right-click it, click Format Axis Title, and then select the formatting option you want.

Select position and style of axis title

15

If you switch to another chart type that does not support axis titles (like a pie chart), the axis titles will no longer be displayed. The titles will be displayed again when you switch back to a chart type that does support axis titles. Selecting chart types Trend charts Trend charts should be used when you want to examine data over time, such as caseloads, crime rates, or youths served. When creating trend charts, you will want to select Bar (Column) or Line charts, as depicted below in Figure 13.

Figure 13

Figure 14 shows the data presented as a line chart. Bar charts tend to be used for two or fewer data elements while line charts tend to be used for more than two data elements. For example, below is a graph looking at the number of youth on probation by gender1. If, however, you wanted to look at the number of probationers by race (White, African-American, Hispanic, and Other) over time, a line graph would be better to use. If the graph below depicted race instead of gender, then you would see four lines displayed, one for each race represented by the data.

1 These numbers are made up for purposes of these examples.

Under the Insert tab, select Column, then

select clustered column

16

Figure 14

Displaying portions Let’s say you wanted to examine the portion of probationers of each race/ethnicity on your caseload during any one point in time (one particular day, all probationers in a month, all probationers over a five-year period). In this case, you would probably want to use a pie chart. Figure 15 shows how you can create a Pie chart.

Figure 15

Under the Insert tab, select Pie, then the

desired style

17

Figure 16 shows an example of a pie chart using all probationers by race/ethnicity over an entire five-year period.

Figure 16

Trends of portions over time Let’s say you wanted to examine the portions of probationers by ethnicities, but you wanted to learn if any changes in these portions occurred over time. For example, has the portion of Hispanic probationers increased? In this instance, you will create a Column chart, but select the 100% Stacked Column as shown in Figure 17.

Figure 17

Under the Insert tab, select Column, then

select stacked column

18

Figure 18 shows how such a chart will help answer the question of whether there was a change in the portion of Hispanic probationers over time. Charts such as these can be thought of as several pie charts lined up adjacent to one another as columns. Examining the blue area (representing Hispanic youth) in Figure 18 below, it comprises more than 25 percent of the 2006 column. In the 2010 column, the blue area comprises less than 25 percent. Thus, the chart below shows there was a slight decrease in this population over the five-year period.

Figure 18

The graphs displayed in this manual are the most common graphs used. Other types of graphs are available, but as they are not used very often, they were not included in this manual. Also, there is a help menu provided by Excel, which can be found along the task bar that runs across the top of your computer screen. I highly recommend using this help function if you have questions about any graph you may be working on. You can also use the help function to help you create graphs that are not described in this manual.

19

Data sources: U.S. Census Bureau: www.uscensus.gov

U.S. Department of Justice – Bureau of Justice Statistics: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs FBI Uniform Crime Reports - http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention: http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org National Center for Juvenile Justice: http://www.ncjj.org/ National Criminal Justice Reference Services: http://www.ncjrs.gov/ Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority: www.icjia.state.il.us Illinois State Police (Crime in Illinois): http://www.isp.state.il.us/crime/cii2005.cfm Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Easy Access to Juvenile

Populations: http://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/ezapop/ Citation: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/support/?CTT=97 If you have any questions about where to get data or questions regarding the analysis and graphical representation of data, please contact: Erica Hughes Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority Erica.Hughes@illinois.gov 312-793-8404