A value never stands alone
Every cell sits inside a field: a header that names it, a row that gives it context, and a source that places it. Reading a value without these is like reading a word without its definition — you will guess, and the guess will feel like a fact.
Step 1 — Field label
Read the column header first. It names what the cell is supposed to carry. Two different headers can hold values that look identical but mean different things, so the header must come before the value.
Step 2 — Visible value
Record exactly what the cell displays. If it shows nothing, the absence is the visible value. Do not add a reading that the cell does not contain.
Step 3 — Row context
Look at the header, the adjacent cells, and the source position. These tell you how this particular row should be read — whether the value is a measure, a label, a count, or something else.
Step 4 — Unknown meaning
Whatever still cannot be determined belongs in its own marked space. An unknown stays open until the destination page resolves it; it is never filled in from habit.
A worked reading
- Field label: the column header, read first.
- Visible value: the cell content, recorded exactly.
- Row context: the header, neighbors, and source, noted.
- Unknown meaning: what is still open, marked not guessed.
Field-reading example — not actual sheet data, a database, or verification.
Continue your review
Next, handle empty cells with the blank cell guide, and confirm consistency with the cross-row consistency guide.