Technical coursework

Import coursework CSV data without changing identifiers

A data import can look successful while quietly changing the information you need. A participant code may lose its leading zero, a date may be interpreted in the wrong order or a long identifier may be treated as a number. Inspect the import before calculating results, especially when working on an assessed analysis.

Microsoft explains CSV import options and preserving leading zeros and long numbers in Excel. These technical details support the checks below. Your course's data dictionary and handling rules determine what each field means and where it may be stored; do not infer that a column is numeric merely because its entries contain digits.

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Keep the supplied data intact

Retain an unchanged copy of the original file in the approved location. Work on a separate analysis copy and record where the source came from. If the course distributes an updated dataset, distinguish it from the earlier version. A clear source record makes it possible to explain which data underlies your results.

Read any accompanying description, codebook or assignment note before opening the file. Identify the expected columns, units, date convention and missing-value notation. If the file contains restricted information, follow the university's access rules. Do not upload it to an unrelated conversion website simply because the spreadsheet application initially displays it incorrectly.

Use an import preview

Use the application's supported text or CSV import process so you can inspect delimiters and column types. Check whether the file uses commas, tabs or another separator and whether quoted text is handled as expected. A preview in which every row appears in one column is a signal to correct the import settings.

Treat identifiers as text when that matches their meaning. A student code or postcode is not a quantity to add together. Microsoft's guidance describes preserving leading zeros through appropriate import and data-type choices. Make this decision before information is lost; changing the display afterwards cannot reliably recreate an unknown original value.

Check dates and missing values

Compare several imported dates with the source description, including a value that makes the expected order unambiguous. If the course specifies day-month-year, verify that the application has not interpreted it differently. Keep the underlying meaning separate from the display format you choose for a report.

Inspect how missing values appear. An empty field, a special code and a genuine zero can mean different things. Do not replace them all with zero because a formula is easier to run that way. Record the treatment required by the assignment or justified by the analysis, and retain the distinction in your working notes.

Reconcile the imported table

Compare the row count and column count with the expected dataset. Check a small selection of records against the original text, including long identifiers, punctuation and non-English names where present. Look at the beginning and end of the file, not only the first screen. A misplaced separator can affect later rows differently.

Write down any correction you make and why. If the source itself appears inconsistent, ask the tutor or data owner rather than silently choosing a plausible replacement. Keep a transparent chain from supplied data to cleaned data. That record is valuable when explaining an unexpected result or responding to feedback.

Export with the next reader in mind

When producing a CSV output, check which sheet and values the application exports and reopen the result through a controlled import. Spreadsheet formatting and formulas are not the same as the plain-text data stored in a CSV file. Keep the richer workbook separately if the course requires both the analysis and a data export.

Include a brief description of columns and transformations where appropriate. Use the required submission format and retain the final version. Additional storage can help with genuinely large permitted datasets, but a new drive does not repair an import that changed identifiers; the essential work is preserving meaning at each step.

Your next steps

Keep an unchanged approved source copy.
Choose column types during import.
Check identifiers, dates and missing values.
Reconcile row counts and inspect the final export.

Sources and further help

Sources were consulted on 5 September 2026. Provider terms and services can change; check your exact booking, product or university service.

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