1.    List, describe, and provide an example of each of the five characteristics of high quality information.

Five characteristics of high quality information:

• ·       Accuracy
• ·       Completeness
• ·       Consistency
• ·       Uniqueness
• ·       Timeliness

Information needs to be of high quality to be useful and Accurate.  The information that is input into a data base is presumed to be perfect as well as accurate.

Completeness is another attribute of high quality information.  Partial information may as well be incomplete information because it is only a small part of the picture.

Consistency is key when entering information into a database.  For example, with a column for a phone number entry 10 digits is the expected length of the field.  Once the fields have been set in the database, a number more or less than 10 digits will not be accepted.  The same applies for any field, whether it is an entry that requires a number, a series of numbers, an address, or a name, etc.

Uniqueness is the fourth component of high quality information.  In order to add value to any organization, information must be unique and distinctive.

A fifth important aspect of information is Timeliness.  New and current data is more valuable to organizations than old outdated information.  Especially now, in this era of high technological advances, out-of-date information can keep a company from achieving their goals or from surviving in a competitive arena.

1.    Define the relationship between a database and a database management system.

A database consists of an organized collection of data for one or more uses, typically in digital form. One way of classifying databases involves the type of their contents, for example: bibliographic, document-text, statistical. Digital databases are managed using database management systems, which store database contents, allowing data creation and maintenance, and search and other access.

A Database Management System (DBMS) is a set of computer programs that controls the creation, maintenance, and the use of a database. It allows organizations to place control of database development in the hands of database administrators (DBAs) and other specialists.

1.    Describe the advantages an organisation can gain by using a database.

Databases minimize:

Data redundancy: the same data are stored in many places

Data isolation: Applications cannot access data associated with other applications

Data inconsistency: Various copies of the data do not agree

Databases ensure:

Data security: Keeping the organization’s data safe from theft, modification, and/or destruction.

Data integrity: Data must meet constraints (e.g., student grade point averages cannot be negative).

Data independence: Applications and data are independent of one another. Applications and data are not linked to each other, meaning that applications are able to access the same data.

 

1.    Define the fundamental concepts of the relational database model.

A relational database is a collection of tables from which data can be accessed in many different ways without having to reorganize the database tables.

That is, once relationships are created, tables can “talk” to each other.  We can link (relate) the tables to find:

                                                    i.     Which doctors are seeing a patient

                                                  ii.     Which students are in which class

                                                iii.     Which item is selling the most on Friday’s

Advantages:

—  Increased flexibility

—  Increased scalability and performance

—  Reduced information redundancy

—  Increased information integrity (quality)

—  Increased information security

5. Describe the benefits of a data-driven website.