Panko, R. R. (1997-2000)
What We Know
About Spreadsheet Errors, Working Paper, Honolulu, HI 96822:
Information Systems Department, College of Business Administration, University
of Hawaii.
This is a survey of
research on spreadsheet errors as of 2005. The working paper is an expanded
version of a paper of the same name that was published in the Journal of End
User Computing’s special issue on Scaling Up End User Development, which
will be published in Spring, 1998, 15-21.
Panko,
R. R. (2000), "Spreadsheet Risks. What We Know. What We Think We
Can Do." Proceedings of the Spreadsheet Risk Symposium, European
Spreadsheet Risks Interest Group (EuSpRIG), Greenwich, England, July 17-18,
2000.
Fifteen
years of research studies have concluded unanimously that spreadsheet errors
are both common and non-trivial. Now we must seek ways to reduce spreadsheet
errors. Several approaches have been suggested, some of which are promising and
others, while appealing because they are easy to do, are not likely to be
effective. To date, only one technique, cell-by-cell code inspection, has been
demonstrated to be effective. We need to conduct further research to determine
the degree to which other techniques can reduce spreadsheet errors.
Harvard Business
Review, "Spreadsheet Risk: How
and Why to Build a Better Spreadsheet," September-October,
1996, pp. 10-12.
The short review paper
was written by the editorial staff of Harvard Business Review. Although
it contains limited information, it is widely available and was widely read.
Cragg, P. B. & King,
Malcolm (1992). A Review and Research Agenda for Spreadsheet Based Systems in
End User Computing, (http://www.afis.canterbury.ac.nz/pcpub1.htm).
Spreadsheet based
systems are an important part of end-user computing (EUC), yet they have
received relatively little attention in the EUC research literature. A review
of the literature is offered in order to stimulate research. The review is
based on the Ives et al (1980) research framework for MIS. A total of 57 papers
are reviewed, covering a broad range of topics, including the framework's major
areas of environment, process and system. Most papers are shown to concentrate
on issues associated with one area, rather than consider relationships
involving variables in two or more areas. This shows that there are many
research topics which are relatively unexplored and specific research questions
are proposed. In general, the review identifies a need for more research on
spreadsheets in natural settings, particularly concentrating on cause and
effect relationships.
Panko, Ray, "Finding Spreadsheet
Errors," Informationweek,
May 20, 1995, Final Word, p. 100.
A single-page article
in an editorial page at the back of the magazine. Again, contains limited
information but widely read.
Panko, R. R. & Halverson, R. H., Jr. "Spreadsheets on Trial: A
Framework for Research on Spreadsheet Risks," Proceedings of
the Twenty-Ninth Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, Vol. II,
Kihei, Hawaii, Los Alamitos, CA: IEEE Computer Society Press, January 1996, pp.
326-335.
This is a summary of
spreadsheet research to 1995. It also contains a framework for understanding
spreadsheet research issues.
Reason, J. Human
Error, Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press, 1990.
This is the most
definitive source for research on human error in general. Contains the GEMS
(Generic Error Modelling System) framework for describing human cognition and
errors.
Panko, R.R., End User Computing: Management,
Applications, and Technology, New York: Wiley, 1988.
Discusses issues in the
management of end user computing projects in general. Presents basic rules for
creating spreadsheets.
Copyright Panko
1997-2005.