Absolutely! Here’s a step-by-step guide to create an Excel data entry form with dependent dropdowns for stakeholder feedback — all on a single sheet.
Step 1: Prepare Your Data Lists
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Open a new Excel workbook.
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Create a new sheet called Lists (you can hide it later).
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In Lists, enter the Affiliations vertically starting from cell A2, e.g.:
| A |
|---|
| Affiliation (header) |
| Students |
| Staff |
| Industry |
| Society |
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Next to it, create columns for each affiliation with their respective Parameters, starting from row 2. For example:
| A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Affiliation | Students | Staff | Industry | Society |
| Quality of Teaching | Work Environment | Graduate Employability | Social Responsibility | |
| Curriculum Relevance | Workload & Job Satisfaction | Curriculum Relevance | Inclusivity | |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
(Add all parameters under each affiliation column)
Step 2: Define Named Ranges
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Select the list of Affiliations (e.g.,
Lists!$A$2:$A$5), then go to Formulas > Define Name, name itAffiliations. -
Similarly, for each affiliation’s parameter list (e.g.,
Lists!$B$2:$B$11for Students), create named ranges exactly matching the affiliation name (e.g.,Students,Staff,Industry,Society).
Step 3: Setup the Data Entry Sheet
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Go back to your main worksheet, e.g., name it Feedback Form.
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In row 1, create headers:
| A | B | C | D | E | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Respondent Name | Affiliation | Date | Parameter | Rating | Comments/Suggestions |
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Format the headers as bold and widen columns for clarity.
Step 4: Add Data Validation for Affiliation
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Select the cells in the Affiliation column where users will input data (e.g.,
B2:B100). -
Go to Data > Data Validation.
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Under Allow, select List.
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In Source, enter:
=Affiliations -
Click OK.
Step 5: Add Dependent Dropdown for Parameters
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Select the cells under Parameter column where users will input data (e.g.,
D2:D100). -
Go to Data > Data Validation.
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Under Allow, select List.
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In Source, enter the formula:
=INDIRECT(B2)-
This formula makes the Parameter list depend on the value selected in Affiliation column in the same row.
-
-
Click OK.
Note: For this to work properly, the affiliation names must exactly match the named ranges created in Step 2.
Step 6: Add Data Validation for Rating
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Select the Rating column cells (e.g.,
E2:E100). -
Go to Data > Data Validation.
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Under Allow, select List.
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Enter the source as:
1,2,3,4,5 -
Click OK.
Step 7: Add Date Picker (Optional)
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Excel doesn’t have a native date picker in all versions, but you can format the Date column (
C2:C100) as Date:-
Select the cells.
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Right-click > Format Cells > Date > Choose desired format.
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Step 8: Final Touches
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Freeze the header row (
View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Top Row). -
Optionally, hide the Lists sheet to prevent accidental edits.
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Add instructions at the top or a separate sheet for users.
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Protect the sheet to prevent editing headers or lists if desired.
If you want, I can also provide you with sample formulas or a downloadable step-by-step checklist.
Would you like me to prepare any additional tips or example screenshots?
