Most statistical software packages use a spreadsheet format for viewing the data. This helps you get a feeling for what you will be working with, especially if the data set is small.
But what if your data set contains numerous variables and hundreds or thousands of observations? There is no way you can get warm and fuzzy by browsing through a large data set.
To help you get a good feel for your data you will need to use your software’s command or syntax editor to write a series of code for reviewing your data. Sounds complicated.