Databases - Adaptive Reading Assignment

What element of a database field specifies the data in a field such as text, numeric, or date/time?

Data Type

How are data marts different from data warehouses?

Data marts focus on an individual department or business function and manage less data than a data warehouse.

Which of the following statements correctly describes referential integrity?

For referential integrity to exist, data on both sides of the table relationship must be present. Referential integrity applies to data quality within the structure of a relational database.

Which of the following tasks are NoSQL databases designed to do? More than one answer may be correct.

Manage large datasets across different platforms Analyze nonstructured data Create queries from the data created from web apps

Organizing data so that data are in simple tables without any redundancies is known as __________.

data normalization Reason: Correct. Data normalization is an organized approach to simplifying tables to eliminate redundancy and undesirable characteristics.

The primary purpose of a business intelligence (BI) system is to ______.

help a business make strategic decisions based on its own data Reason: Correct. Businesses use BI systems to gain an accurate, comprehensive picture of their past, current, and future operations, which helps them make better informed decisions.

A database management system (DBMS) is a computer program that is used to ______.

help organize the data found in a database

In the relationship shown in the image, the Owners table is linked to the Pets table by a one-to-many relationship. This means that each entry in the OwnerID field can be linked to many ___.

pets

In a relational database, an important field that contains a unique value that identifies each record as individual is the ------- key.

primary

Analytic platforms are designed to ______.

quickly gather and analyze specific organizational data to provide information that guides decision making Reason: Correct. Data-driven companies need analytic platforms to help ensure that they base their decisions on what their current performance data show or suggest.

A link between tables in a relational database that defines how the data are related is called a _____.

relationship

How is information artfully extracted from a database? (Drag the correct response to the empty box) Forms allow data to go into a database, ___ displays information coming out of a database.

reports

Businesses use business intelligence (BI) systems to ___.

help them make decisions that are informed by business data and facts Reason: Correct. BI systems support strategic decision making by providing businesses with an accurate, comprehensive picture of their past, current, and future operations.

Which of the following are examples of data objects that a relational database management system (RDBMS) may include? More than one answer may be correct.

Names of customers and records of when merchandise was returned Addresses of the company's wholesalers and the number of items in a company's inventory

Which of the following are advantages of cloud databases over a traditional database? More than one answer may be correct.

Are maintained by an external provider, such as Amazon or Oracle Can be accessed through an application programming interface (API) Can support both SQL and NoSQL databases

Data mining is best described as ______.

a research and analysis technique in which data analysts employ mathematical tools and artificial intelligence (AI) to search large volumes of data and discover less-obvious patterns and trends

Which of the following tasks can businesses perform with the help of in-memory computing? More than one answer may be correct.

Alerting online customers that the desired item is out of stock, before the order is placed Predicting the impact of news on stock prices and conducting immediate transactions Mapping alternate driving routes to help truckers avoid bad weather and traffic jams

Establishing how an organization manages its data and making sure the organization adheres to these methods is a function called

data administration Reason: Correct. Data administration is responsible for developing data policies and procedures, and ensuring that they are followed.

To control how information is entered into a database, programmers and database administrators create ___ to help ensure data integrity.

forms

Which statement explains the difference between a database and a database management system (DBMS)?

A DBMS is a software program designed to organize and administer databases.

Given the Four V's of Big Data, which of the following organizations most likely uses Big Data?

A leading news website that uses data about its visitors' and followers' activities to shape its news coverage, customize news alerts, and gain advertisers and subscribers. Reason: Correct. The data that are automatically collected and used by an online media outlet with a large audience is likely to be of high volume, variety, velocity, and veracity.

Which of the following sets of characteristics specifically apply to relational databases? More than one answer may be correct.

A relational database organizes data in tables composed of records or objects (the rows), and fields (the columns). Data tables in a relational database are linked by the fields they have in common.

Which of the following is an example of a web experience that could be improved by web mining?

A subscription learning app that targets kindergarten students wants to meaningfully update its lessons so that visually impaired children can use them. A travel company wants to know what amenities people search for before booking a hotel for a vacation so that the company can increase the coverage of those amenities on their website. A small online retailer has noticed that most people viewing products from its gaming pages browse for about 5 minutes and end up making purchases, but over 75 percent of people viewing products from its home goods pages leave within the first 30 seconds. It wants information on how the two pages are different.

Which of the following is an example of what an information policy could specify? More than one answer may apply.

A user agreement on a website indicates that it will store the browsing history linked to the IP address for an indefinite amount of time and reserves the right to sell that information to interested parties. A large corporation grants access to salary information to the direct supervisors of employees and to members of the Human Resources department who administer payroll. A health insurance company stores data that patients self-report as inputs on its website, but does not link that data with information about the patient's search history.

A query is a request for information stored in a database. One of the benefits of using a database to store information is the ability to run a query. In relational database management systems (RDBMS), there are a variety of query tools that are used to execute and run queries. Which of the following are tools used to run queries in an RDBMS? More than one answer may be correct.

Action queries Crosstab queries SQL specific queries

Which of the following would be a reason why an organization would use web usage mining?

An e-commerce business looking to improve the customer experience on its website to boost sales wants to know what types of sites users go to after visiting their website and putting items in their cart, but not completing a purchase. A new social media platform wants to increase engagement and is looking to know what content its most frequent users spend the most time engaging with.

What is the purpose of an SQL statement?

Answer questions about the database Reason: Correct. SQL uses statements generated by the user to answer questions about the database.

Which statement best summarizes how organizations use data warehouses?

Data warehouses are used to store data from multiple sources for collective analysis. Reason: Correct. Once collected, the warehoused data can be more easily analyzed together and interpreted to help organizations make informed decisions.

Which statement most accurately describes the value of data integrity to an organization?

Databases and database management system (DBMS) with a high level of data integrity enable more efficient data maintenance in support of organizational goals. Reason: Correct. Reliability, accuracy, and alignment with business goals are the hallmarks of good data integrity.

Relational database management systems (RDBMS) have a variety of tools that can be used to execute/run queries. One of these query tools is the ability to execute/run action queries. Which of the following are common types of action queries?

Delete query Append query Update query

Which of the following is an example of the type of information data mining can yield?

Middle-aged males who are members of their local church bible study group are more inclined to vote than younger males who are also members of local bible study groups. The likelihood of a Gen-X female who makes $50,000 and is divorced with no children will take a trip within a year of her divorce being finalized

Database management system (DBMS) make it easier to secure data and information because they ______.

allow for the creation of access constraints

The practice of data scrubbing is a vital part of data quality management because it ______.

ensures ongoing data validity by identifying and then fixing data errors Reason: Correct. The purpose of data scrubbing is to regularly detect and clean up data mistakes such as syntax errors, duplicate records, and misspellings.

A relational database management system (RDBMS) is a type of DBMS whose primary function is to ______.

show how data are connected through relationships Reason: Correct. An RDBMS uses a tabular structure to organize data to define and identify relationships.

The primary characteristic of a relational database is that it ______

stores and allows access to data objects that are related to one another Reason: Correct. A relational database structures data and create relationships between objects. The data may be stored and accessed in different ways.

Which of the following is an example of why a database should be accessible through the web?

A small distributor with limited staffing wants customers to be able to track the status of their orders without having to contact a customer service representative. A company has recently scaled its operations so that it competes internationally and needs business partners all over the world to have access to its database. A large portion of a company's workforce are contract workers who work offsite, using their own devices to complete their work.

Select the two statements that correctly explain the roles of data marts and data warehouses in a decision support system (DSS).

Data warehouses are used to analyze long-term, historical data for an organization's strategic purposes, because they store data from different time periods and subject areas. Data marts are used to analyze recent data that a department needs for operational troubleshooting and management, because they collect and measure data specific to that area.

Which of the following is a task that data administration would be responsible for?

Deciding that the organization will begin collecting and storing users' locations upon the release of the next generation software for its mobile app. Determining that two-factor identification must be used to access data that the company has determined to be confidential. Defining policies stating that employees may not share data with people who are not employees of the organization.

Which statement best explains why traditional file systems have certain issues?

Each file is independent of another file in a traditional system.

Which of the following improvements might be the direct outcome of a data quality audit?

Elimination of redundant metadata and strengthened referential integrity Recommendations for a new data management design and prescriptions for preserving data quality Corrections in source data issues and ways to examine data over time

For the past 10 years, a restaurant has been running a customer loyalty program, rewarding customers with discounts and treats. Records of these rewards have been kept in odd notes and multiple spreadsheets used in different ways by various employees who have come and gone over the years. Because of this, some customers are not getting their rewards, while others are receiving rewards they have not earned. Overall, the restaurant is losing money and business with this program. How can a database management system (DBMS) help with this problem?

A DBMS will help the owners manage the data they already have to run their customer loyalty program more efficiently. Reason: Correct. A DBMS will help the owners eliminate multiple records per customer and family (data redundancy) and will help resolve any conflicting information between their notes and spreadsheet records (data inconsistency). This will allow them to reward customers fairly and avoid losing money on unearned rewards.

From the following list, select all of the examples of a relationship that an entity-relationship diagram (ERD) could be used to describe.

The courses a student is taking Products a customer has ordered The employees who report to a specific manager in an organizational chart

Which of the following statements correctly describes a defining characteristic of Big Data?

The data are from structured and unstructured sources and exist in multiple forms. The data are measured in terabytes (trillions of bytes) or even larger units.

Which statement best summarizes how a data governance (DG) plan is created?

The plan is tailored to the organization's specific goals, objectives, and activities. Reason: Correct. There is no one-size-fits-all DG plan, given the many differences between organizations' business data and how they use it.

For which of the following tasks would it be more appropriate to use a NoSQL database than a SQL database?

Analyzing large volumes of data that are stored in the cloud Organizing user-generated comments from your company's Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram pages

Which type of database maintains the hardware and operating system offsite and is accessed via Internet-based applications?

Cloud database Reason: Correct. A Cloud database includes the hardware and server operating environment in an Internet-based datacenter.

What term describes the process organizations use to discover meaningful relationships and patterns among the data sets it has collected?

Data mining Reason: Correct. Data mining is the process organizations use to find meaningful patterns and relationships within the data sets it has collected.

Brooks Accounting is no stranger to audits—for their customers. Managers discovered some issues in services and billing they suspected were linked to their database practices rather than to employee competence. Brooks hired an outside firm to perform a data quality audit. Which statement best describes how the audit process identified problems?

Data profiling analyzed the accounting firm's data sources. Reason: Correct. In examining internal and external data sources, problems in consistency, accuracy, and structure are revealed.

Which of the following correctly describes a type of data mart?

Hybrid data marts combine data from a data warehouse and other collection systems. Dependent data marts extract data from a data warehouse when it is needed. Independent data marts are separate from a data warehouse and are created in order to collect data relating only to particular business functions.

How does the structure of an online analytical processing (OLAP) database shape its core functionality?

Its use of data cubes allows users to conduct complex queries, analyses, and modeling by taking multiple dimensions of data (types or levels) into account and viewing data from multiple viewpoints or "slices" (such as by date and location).

Which of these steps in the data mining process most likely involves the actual "mining" or "Knowledge Discovery in Data"?

Model building and evaluation Reason: Correct. After the relevant data are prepared, mathematical algorithms are applied to segment the data, automatically discover patterns, and predict and evaluate the likelihood of future events.

Why is it important for all organizations, no matter how small, to create and implement organizational information policies?

Organizational data are a critical asset; it is important to ensure its security. Reason: Correct. Organizational information policies are designed to protect an organization's data by defining how the data are structured and maintained, who has access to it, and how it is distributed.

A database provides the capability of conducting searches or asking questions. A question or search for information in a database is called a

Query

Which of the following statements describe the capabilities of relational database management system (RDBMS)? More than one answer may be correct.

RDBMS have features that support the quality and security of data. RDBMS allow users to view, add, revise, and remove data.

Which of the following is a task that an SQL statement would be expected to perform?

Retrieve data Reason: Correct. One of the tasks that SQL statements are used to perform is the retrieval of data, also known as a query.

Your college has a database with a Students table. Which two of the following could be a primary key in the table?

Social Security Number Student number

Referential integrity states that structural relationships in relational databases must ______.

be consistent: a foreign key field that references a primary key field must agree with that primary key Reason: Correct. The foreign key must refer to the primary key to create referential integrity.

Data integrity is increased when ______.

data are centralized Reason: Correct. Storing data in one place is vital to increasing data integrity.

Organizations use data warehouses mainly to ______.

facilitate the analysis of data from multiple sources Reason: Correct. Warehoused data can be more easily analyzed together and then interpreted to help organizations make informed decisions.

Organizations perform data quality audits in order to ______.

gain an overall assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of their data Reason: Correct. A data quality audit will reveal the state of data quality and any actions that should be taken to improve it.

A mid-sized independent hardware store has recently merged with a large national chain. The local owners have long used a reliable database to manage inventory. Their database has been essential in balancing orders for seasonal merchandise with the problem of limited shelf space. The merger will soon entail managing many more types of data, as the national chain has approved lists of suppliers, precise requirements for recording transactions, specific human resources procedures, and more. Which statement best summarizes what the local managers will be able to do for the first time when they start using the parent company's database management system (DBMS)?

he managers will be able to create, edit, and store data in a secure manner across all data types required by the parent company. Reason: Correct. Because a DBMS allows management and manipulation of data in databases, the owners will have access to organized information supplied by the parent company for their use.

Why do large, data-driven companies use analytic platforms?

hey generate vast amounts of organizational data and need to be able to rapidly analyze and interpret this information to make informed business decisions. Reason: Correct. Data-driven companies are committed to basing their decisions on data analysis; analytic platforms can search and analyze large data sets at high speeds.

A company's periodic web mining exercise to determine its best-selling products resulted in the discovery that a product sold in conjunction with a movie released 10 years ago has recently become coveted by nostalgia fans. The company redesigned its website so that interested consumers can purchase the product right on the homepage. This company has used web mining to ______.

improve site usability Reason: Correct. The company's redesign of the website made it easier for consumers to buy the product they were searching for. This is an example of improved site usability.

Forms structure data input to help ensure data ------- meaning the information entered is accurate, timely, and useful.

integrity or accuracy

In contrast to computerized systems, traditional file management systems can create issues with ______.

organization, repetition, and lack of consistency Reason: Correct. Traditional file management programs and processes can create these three issues.

The Important goals of data governance (DG) are to ______.

protect data from risk, misuse, regulatory noncompliance, and quality and cost issues Reason: Correct. These goals all help to guarantee the quality, usability, and security of an organization's data.

In a relational database, such as Microsoft Access, a collection of related fields in a data file is called a

record

To display or distribute information from a database, programmers or database administrators create ___.

reports

In analyzing transactions, Walmart discovered that many people who buy Children's Tylenol in their stores also buy orange juice in the same transaction. They used this information to discount Children's Tylenol but raise the price of orange juice during flu season. What is the name of the approach Walmart used to discover this information?

Big data Reason: Correct. Big data refers to an organization's ability to use analytics to uncover predictive behaviors.

Why is online analytical processing (OLAP) software included in many business intelligence (BI) software applications? More than one answer may be correct.

It allows reports and analytics to be exported to more user-friendly, front-end tools. It allows for sophisticated data and trend analysis, data modeling, and forecasting. It allows users to view data from different perspectives or angles and gain new insights.

For which task is a data mart more useful or appropriate than a data warehouse?

Resolving a current problem with a specific type of inventory, purchase transaction, or supply chain Reason: Correct. Data marts assist with the analysis of specific operational data for a particular department or business area.

Why must database administrators (DBA) be trained or experienced in using an organization's specific database platform?

They must troubleshoot or solve problems with the database when necessary.

Which of the following is an example of an organization analyzing predictive behavior with the goal of creating new offerings? More than one answer may be correct.

An in-home healthcare provider tracks the hospital readmission rates of elderly people who live alone after they received care for falling in their homes. Netflix tracks what users who viewed all three seasons of Stranger Things also had in their queues.

The four steps in a data quality audit are ______.

assessment, design, transformation, and monitoring Reason: Correct. Assessing the quality of source data, designing quality processes, creating maps that correct or transform data, and checking data over a given time period are the four steps of a data audit.

Businesses can use in-memory computing to conduct or support almost any task that ______.

involves the near-instantaneous processing and analysis of huge volumes of data Reason: Correct. In-memory computing enables enormous amounts of data to be rapidly processed and analyzed for real-time analytics and results.

How does the structure of an online analytical processing (OLAP) database shape its core functionality?

ts use of data cubes allows users to conduct complex queries, analyses, and modeling by taking multiple dimensions of data (types or levels) into account and viewing data from multiple viewpoints or "slices" (such as by date and location).

What is the primary role of a database administrator (DBA)?

To monitor the database and ensure that it functions when needed Reason: Correct. DBA also fulfill this role by troubleshooting problems with the database when they occur.

Which of the following is an example of an advantage of being able to access a database via the web? More than one answer may be correct.

Turnover among telephone customer service representatives at your company is high and they receive only brief training before they interact with customers. Reps need to be able to access your sales database to assist customers who call. Your company needs suppliers in all countries to be able to access your inventory database. Your product is primarily sold in developing countries where most of your suppliers are small business owners who access the Internet via a mobile device instead of a computer.

A corporate sales organization is hosting its annual regional meeting. It needs to book a hotel within the region where attendees will stay for three days and two nights. The hotel must have: 30 standard hotel rooms for its sales reps, 5 suites for the regional managers, and 5 conference rooms to hold training sessions. There also must be two restaurants within walking distance of the hotel that can accommodate a dinner reservation for 40 people. Which web mining technique would the organization use to narrow down the choices of hotels to those that fit these parameters?

Web content mining Reason: Correct. Web content mining is a good tool to extract specified information from a website. Data from the hotels' web pages will be extracted and analyzed to determine which hotels meet the specified criteria.