Data and Databases
Completion requirements
Data is a valuable resource. Therefore, data management has become an important administrative function. An effective data management plan should govern how to acquire, store, and secure organizational data. Remember, reliable data management plans depend on your ability to identify the value added to operational and strategic planning.
Read this chapter. Focus on the differences between data, information, and knowledge; why database technology for data resource management is important; and the role of database management systems. Answer the study questions at the end of the chapter. Why is data management valuable to the success of an organization? What are some common weaknesses in data resource management? How can they be mitigated?
Study Questions
- What is the difference between data, information, and knowledge?
- Explain in your own words how the data component relates to the hardware and software components of information systems.
- What is the difference between quantitative data and qualitative data? In what situations could the number 42 be considered qualitative data?
- What are the characteristics of a relational database?
- When would using a personal DBMS make sense?
- What is the difference between a spreadsheet and a database? List three differences between them.
- Describe what the term normalization means.
- Why is it important to define the data type of a field when designing a relational database?
- Name a database you interact with frequently. What would some of the field names be?
- What is metadata?
- Name three advantages of using a data warehouse.
- What is data mining?
- In your own words, explain the difference between supervised learning and unsupervised learning. Give an example of each (not from the book).