Data and spreadsheets
Check a table for mixed units
Scan each numeric column for values that use different units or scales, such as pounds beside kilograms or thousands beside single units. Record the stated unit, each variant you find, and the source of every conversion. Leave a value unresolved when its unit is unclear.
A text to start with
This table has numeric columns: [column names and stated units]. Here are sample rows: [anonymous rows]. Identify values that appear to use a different unit or scale from the column's stated unit. For each, list the observed variant and what I would need to confirm. Do not convert anything yet. List values whose unit cannot be determined.
Example request. Change the details to fit your situation.Unit consistency log
Table and sheet: [ ] Column: [ ] Stated unit: [ ] Stated scale (units, thousands, millions): [ ] Observed variant: [ ] Rows affected: [ ] Conversion needed (unit): [ ] Conversion needed (scale): [ ] Conversion factor: [ ] Source of the factor: [ ] Unresolved values and why: [ ] Confirmed by: [ ] Repeat the item block as needed.
Unit and scale are separate
Converting kilograms to pounds changes the unit. Reading a value in thousands as a plain number changes the scale. Both can appear in one column, and fixing only one leaves the data wrong. Check column headers, footnotes and any notes row for clues about scale. Look for suffixes typed into cells, such as k or m, and for values far larger or smaller than their neighbors. A conversion factor needs a named source, not a remembered number. If a cell has no unit and no clue, mark it unresolved.
Ask another agent to check the result
Review the flagged-unit list against the supplied headers, notes and sample rows. Distinguish a unit difference from a scale difference and identify what must be confirmed for each. Keep ambiguous values unresolved. If later proposed conversions are supplied, check their factors and sources separately before treating them as verified.
Convert on a copy
Ask the person who supplied the data to confirm units for the flagged values. Add a new column for the converted figure and keep the original beside it. Write the conversion factor and its source on the worksheet. Re-run any total or average you plan to use and compare it with the unconverted version to see how much the change matters.