Excel 2007 : Help needed graphing data.

[j741]

Hi all.

I have spent the last few weeks trying to figure this out and have found only frustration, so I am looking for help because I need to complete this in the next couple of days (before the end of the weekend) or abandon it completely.

Basically, I have recorded some survey results into an Excel 2007 spreadsheet, and am now trying to figure out how to use Excel 2007 to present these survey results in such a way that the survey results can be understood almost immediately when someone looks at it. I know the basics of Excel and that's about it, so after looking through the available ribbons and menu options, reading (and getting confused by) the Excel help files, and trying various internet searches, I conclude that what I need is a graph.

The problem now is that I have no idea how to turn the data which I have into the graphical representation I desire, so this is where I need your help.

I have attached a screen shot showing the way I have put the data into excel. I have also attached a picture of a graph which I manually created in a drawing program; this is how I think I want the results to appear. This is the desired end result (repeated for each survey question). I did it like this because I want to be able to determine the following information at-a-glance:
- What is the average result of the survey during each survey period?
- Does this average change (and in what direction) during each survey period?
- Is this average based on a tight-cluster of results, or on a very wide range of results?
- Does the range of results change noticeably during each survey period?
- Do specific individuals answering the survey change their answers dramatically?

Now while I have the data, and know what I need fro ma graphical representation of the data, I can not figure out the following: How do I tell Excel 2007 ...
- ...that the people names in row 3 are the LABELS for the data points?
- ...that the data points are in cells D7:Z16?
- ...that the Y axis LABELS are in cells D3:F3
- ...that the X axis should range from 'bad' to 'good'?
- ...that each survey question (rows 7:16) should be different, identical type, graphs one after the other on the vertical (printed) page?
- ...to plot the individual data points in locations associated with their person, in different colors?
- ... to include an average bar in the background, behind the displayed data points?

Now it seems obvious to me that there may be something very basic that I simply don't know. Maybe Excel 2007 is simply not smart enough to do what I need without some additional programming script or macro (which I won't do) or something; I don't know.

So please help me out if you can, and when you reply please reply with explanations and in detail, step-by-step, as if you were talking to a child, because I am sure there is something fundamentally basic that I just don't see.

Thank you for your time.
- James.