Public data cleaning starter
Turn a messy government spreadsheet into data you can analyse and explain honestly.
- Format
- Guide
- Who it's for
- Creators working with CSVs and Excel files from data.gov.ph or agencies.
About this resource
Based on practices from the Data Journalism Handbook.
1. Keep the raw file untouched
Save the original download with the date and source URL. Do all cleaning on a copy.
2. Write a data dictionary
For each column, note what it means, its unit and where the definition comes from. Ask the agency if it's unclear.
3. Check for missing and odd values
Count blanks, zeros, duplicates and totals rows mixed into the data. Filter each column to spot typos like 'Quezon Cty'.
4. Standardise
Fix date formats, names and spellings consistently. Use official PSGC codes for places when you can.
5. Log every change
Keep a changelog sheet: what you changed, why and how many rows were affected. This lets others reproduce your work.
6. Sanity-check results
Compare your totals with the agency's published totals before drawing conclusions.
Free to use and adapt with credit to CREATE CHANGE by BetterGov.PH. Guidance only — not legal advice.