SCENARIO
A media company is responsible for managing the publishing of a wide variety of local and international magazines - NSC Information Technology - Question 4 - 2021 - Paper 2
Question 4
SCENARIO
A media company is responsible for managing the publishing of a wide variety of local and international magazines. An MS Access database is used to manage ... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:SCENARIO
A media company is responsible for managing the publishing of a wide variety of local and international magazines - NSC Information Technology - Question 4 - 2021 - Paper 2
Step 1
What is a relational database?
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Answer
A relational database is a structured collection of data that allows for efficient storage, management, and retrieval of information. It utilizes tables to represent data and relationships between data points through primary and foreign keys, ensuring data integrity and reducing redundancy.
Step 2
Name and explain ONE anomaly that can occur in an operational database if the database is not normalized.
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One common anomaly that can occur is the Insertion Anomaly. This happens when it is impossible to add data to the database without the presence of other necessary data, leading to the potential loss of meaningful information or incomplete data entry.
Step 3
Identify THREE fields in the table tblMagazines that require more suitable data types. Suggest a more suitable field name and data type for EACH field that you identified.
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ReleaseDate: Change to Date/Time to accurately represent the date of release.
Price: Change to Currency to reflect the monetary value more appropriately.
NumPrinted: Change to Integer as it should represent a whole number.
Step 4
Draw an ERD of tblPublishers and tblMagazines showing the following: The relationship type between the entities; A suitable action verb describing the relationship.
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The ERD should illustrate a One-to-Many relationship between tblPublishers and tblMagazines, where one publisher can publish many magazines. The action verb describing this relationship could be ‘publishes’.
Step 5
Explain what data integrity entails.
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Data integrity refers to the accuracy and consistency of data stored in a database. It ensures that data remains reliable and valid through controls that prevent unauthorized access and accidental modifications, thereby preserving the quality of data.
Step 6
Apart from normalization, state ONE other way to ensure data integrity in a database.
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One other way to ensure data integrity is by including validation rules in the database management system, which can verify that data entries conform to required formats or constraints.
Step 7
State TWO ways in which the company can benefit from the use of a database management system.
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It reduces redundancy by storing data efficiently and eliminates duplicate data entries.
It improves data access speed, allowing for faster query results and better decision-making.
Step 8
Suggest ONE way to minimise user input.
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Implementing default values for fields can minimize user input, as it automatically fills in commonly used data, allowing users to focus on necessary input.
Step 9
Explain why using a server-based database instead of a desktop database system would be the better option for a company.
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A server-based database is ideal for accommodating larger numbers of users and allows multiple users to work on the database simultaneously, enhancing collaboration and efficiency across different locations.
Step 10
How does data warehousing affect the size of a database?
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Data warehousing increases the size of a database by accumulating vast amounts of historical data for analysis, which may lead to a larger dataset compared to a traditional database that focuses on current operational data.
Step 11
Name ONE role of a human in data mining.
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One essential role of a human in data mining is to interpret the results, as humans provide the context and understanding necessary to make data-driven decisions based on the analysis.
