We have prototyped a "spreadsheet component repository" Web site, from which users can copy "components" into their own Excel or Google spreadsheets. Components are collections of cells containing formulae: in real life, they would do useful calculations that many practitioners find hard to program, and would be rigorously tested and documented. Crucially, the user can tell the repository which...

Creating user defined functions (UDFs) is a powerful method to improve the quality of computer applications, in particular spreadsheets. However, the only direct way to use UDFs in spreadsheets is to switch from the functional and declarative style of spreadsheet formulas to the imperative VBA, which creates a high entry barrier even for proficient spreadsheet users. It has been proposed to ext...

We begin by considering the expectations of the creators of VisiCalc, the first spreadsheet. The emphasis is on the nature of the spreadsheet grid. The grid is taken as a presentational method for showing a solution to a Sudoku puzzle. We consider methods or approaches for the solution. We look at the relationship between this model and academic papers on the methods for describing and categori...

Despite many numbers of studies in Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the social influence construct has not been recognized, nor handled clearly. This study includes the social influence construct in TAM and tests the robustness of the model for different information systems contexts: office automation (spreadsheet) and Internet usage. Study findings include that 1) social influence has a dire...

The paper presents two complementary strategies for identifying errors in spreadsheet programs. The strategies presented are grounded on the assumption that spreadsheets are software, albeit of a different nature than conventional procedural software. Correspondingly, strategies for identifying errors have to take into account the inherent properties of spreadsheets as much as they have to reco...

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 has finally forced corporations to examine the validity of their spreadsheets. They are beginning to understand the spreadsheet error literature, including what it tells them about the need for comprehensive spreadsheet testing. However, controlling for fraud will require a completely new set of capabilities, and a great deal of new research will be needed to deve...

Electronic spreadsheets are used extensively to support financial analysis and problem solving processes; however, research has revealed that experienced professionals and students make many errors when developing spreadsheets. Practitioners recognize the importance of accuracy and have published many techniques for improving the accuracy of their spreadsheets. Their prescriptions and results o...

The widespread presence of errors in spreadsheets is now well-established. Quite a few methodological and software approaches have been suggested as ways to reduce spreadsheet errors. However, these approaches are always tailored to particular types of errors. Are such errors, in fact, widespread? A tool that focuses on rare errors is not very appealing. In other fields of error analysis, espec...

Spreadsheets are used extensively in industry, often for business critical purposes. In previous work we have analyzed the information needs of spreadsheet professionals and addressed their need for support with the transition of a spreadsheet to a colleague with the generation of data flow diagrams. In this paper we describe the application of these data flow diagrams for the purpose of unders...

This paper discusses the risks and potential impacts of spreadsheet errors in scientific research data in a Neuroscience research centre in the UK. Spreadsheets usage in neuroscience, or indeed any medical discipline, is a largely unreported area of spreadsheet research. This paper presents a case study exploring the possible risks and impacts of spreadsheet errors in the neuroscience research ...