Data & Information Flashcards
Data definition
Raw facts and figures which are meaningless as they have not been processed e.g. 3
Information definition
Data that has been processed and has meaning e.g. My sister is 3 year old
Why code data?
(i) faster to type than full words, taking less time to enter data
(ii) faster for the computer to perform sorts and searches on data
(iii) codes are often designed to be unique
What is a database?
A collection of information
Advantages of databases on a computer
- large amounts of data is stored in a small space
- a computer can search the database quickly for specific information
- the stored data is less likely to be lost
- more than one user can see the data at any one time
Disadvantages of databases on a computer
- the computer equipment you need will be relatively expensive to buy and install
- initial cost of collecting the data and setting up the database will be high
- to make the system effective, staff need to be trained
- if the system fails you cannot access the information
Data types
Text - letters, symbols, numbers (alphanumeric)
Number - number only (can include decimals)
Date/time - dates and times
Currency - for all monetary data (includes currency symbols)
Yes/no - or true/false
Autonumber - a unique value generated by Access for each different record
What is a key field/primary key?
A field that uniquely identifies one record in a table
What is a datafile?
Collection of related records stored in a table with field headings
What is a record?
All the data connected with one item organised under field headings
What is a field?
The column which holds the data
What is an item?
One field in one record
What is a flat file?
A database containing only one table with all records contained in this table under the field headings. Can be described as a file containing text or data separated by commas or tabs such as in a csv file
What is a relational database?
A database made up of a group of tables which are linked
What is data redundancy?
Data unnecessarily duplicated
What is data integrity?
Data that is accurate and up-to-date
What is a link field?
A field in two tables
Examples of forms
National lottery ticket selection form
Registering pupils in school
Multiple choice test
How does the optical mark reader (OMR) work?
It detects the presence of your pencil mark by reflecting light onto it - less light is reflected where a mark has been made.
The OMR then interprets the pattern of marks and sends the results to the computer for storage, analysis and reporting
Advantages of optical mark reader (OMR)
- a fast method of inputting large amounts of data - up to 10 000 forms can be read per hour depending on the quality of the machine used
- only one computer needed to collect and process the data
- OMR is much more accurate than data being keyed in by a person
Disadvantages of optical mark reader (OMR)
- if the marks don’t fill the space completely, or aren’t in a dark enough pencil, they may not be read correctly
- not suitable for recording one out of a selection of answers, not suitable for text input
- the OMR needs the answers to be on the prepared forms which will all be identical to one another (you can’t just pick up a blank sheet of paper and mark your answers on it)