Literally meaning 'to resolve anything into its elements', analysing is a vital stage in the data handling experience. This section looks at the key objectives of time series analysis. We cover the techniques that are used to divide a raw time series into its component parts.

You'll find a range of techniques here that help to identify the trend within a data series. There's also help with accounting for the seasonal factors that often influence data. Finally, there's a guide to the use of linear regression in data analysis.

There are four main areas of this section and you can access them at any time using the navigation bar on the left. The four sections are:

• Explanation - a guide to time series data and linear regression
• Illustration - illustrations of time series data and linear regression
• Worksheets - a worksheet called 'Fantastic Plastic' on the possibility of a cashless society
• Review - a very brief summary of the topics covered in the 'analysis' section

You'll find that many of the Illustrations used in this section require you to use Excel to follow the examples. Don't forget that there's a Guide to Excel on TimeWeb. You can access this from the navigation bar on the left from any page.