TERMS USED IN INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

File

·         A collection of related records

·         Stored on a storage medium

·         Example: database file containing records of all students at a school

Table

·         A list of rows and columns that store information about a particular subject

·         Collection of records

·         Contains data about an entity or thing

Field

·         The smallest unit of data users access in a database.

·         It represents a single entity or category of data

·         It’s a column that runs from top to bottom

Field Name

·         The label assigned to a field in a database

·         Used to identify and reference the field when searching or manipulating data.

Record

·          A collection of related fields that represent one entity

·         Example: student record containing fields for "Name", "Student ID", and "Date of Birth".

Database

·         A collection of structured data or records that is organized for easy access, management, and updating.

Database management System (DBMS)

·         Software or a collection of software tools

·         Used for the creation, manipulation and extraction of information from a database

Usage of Files and Data Bases In Organizations to:

1.      Store data

2.      Organize data

3.      Search for data (for efficient data retrieval)

4.      Presentation of information in a standardized format

5.      Elimination of redundancies of data

Data Redundancy

·         Data redundancy refers to duplicate data

·         Wastes space

·         Increases the likelihood of errors and inconsistencies

Data Integrity

Data integrity refers to the accuracy, consistency, and reliability of data throughout its storage, transmission, and retrieval processes. It ensures that data remains unaltered and trustworthy, safeguarded against unauthorized modification, corruption, or loss.

Referential Integrity

A property of a relational database that ensures the relationships between tables remain consistent. It requires that a foreign key in one table matches a primary key in another table. This maintains the accuracy, consistency and reliability of the database.

Data Isolation

·         When data is stored in different storage areas (data bases, systems, filing cabinets)

·         Making it difficult to to access and share

·         Related data can be missed if stored in different locations

Data Mining

·         The act of analyzing a database or data warehouse

·         Searching for new information or facts based on a required data criteria

·         Used to identify possible trends and problems in a business

Data warehousing

·         Large centralized storage system that collects, organizes and manages data from multiple sources

·         Designed for fast retrieval and analysis (queries and reports)

·         Allows data to be centralized in 1 location

·         Is used for businesses with different branches allowing for efficient analysis of trends

Data Mart

·         Subset of the data warehouse, representing a specific business department

·         Allows for data to be retrieved quickly by the specified business department

·         Only contains data needed by the specified business department