Data Requirements
What good input data looks like, and which page to read before you upload.
Use Data Requirements when your question is whether a file is ready to upload, map, or reshape before analysis.
This section explains the file-level and table-level requirements that matter before you run an analysis in Licklider. It is for input readiness before analysis, not for choosing a statistical test or figure. Use it to decide whether your file is ready as-is, whether it needs reshaping, and which page to read when import does not behave the way you expect.
What good input data looks like
Licklider works best with tabular data organized as a single table with column headers and consistent column meanings.
In many workflows, each row represents one observation and each column represents one variable. If repeated conditions, timepoints, or grouped measurements are currently spread across multiple columns, you may need to reshape the table before running the analysis you want.
What this section helps you decide
Use this section when your immediate question is about file format, table shape, required columns, special design columns, or import behavior.
This section helps you answer five practical questions:
- Is my file format supported?
- Is my table already in the right shape, or does it need reshaping?
- Which columns are required for the analysis I want to run?
- How are ID, batch, and timepoint columns used?
- Why did import fail, or why does the imported dataset look wrong?
Read the page that matches your problem
| If you need to know... | Read this page |
|---|---|
| Whether your file type is supported for upload | Supported File Formats |
| Whether your table is wide or long, and whether it needs reshaping | Table Shape: Wide vs Long |
| Which columns are required for the analysis you want to run | Required and Optional Columns |
| How ID, batch, and timepoint columns affect setup and checks | ID, Batch, and Timepoint Columns |
| Why import failed or why the imported data looks wrong | Common Import Errors |
Before you upload: a quick checklist
Before uploading, make sure that:
- the file contains one table, not several separate blocks
- the first row contains column names
- each column has one clear meaning
- title rows, notes, and summary blocks are not mixed into the data table
- key design variables such as group, ID, batch, or timepoint appear as explicit columns when relevant
- if conditions or timepoints are encoded in column names, you have checked whether the table should be reshaped first
What this section does not cover
- Choosing a statistical test → see Choose the Right Test
- Choosing a figure → see Choose the Right Figure
- Detailed method interpretation → see Methods
- Quality checks after analysis has begun → see Quality Checks
Where to go next
If you are deciding whether your file can be uploaded at all, start with Supported File Formats.
If the file uploads but the structure looks confusing, continue to Table Shape: Wide vs Long and Common Import Errors.
If your main question is which test or figure to use after the data is ready, go to Choose the Right Test or Choose the Right Figure.