Download Introduction to Databases

Introduction
to databases
Developed by Anna Feldman for the Association
for Progressive Communications (APC)
Overview
• What a database is
• How it fits into the broader information
management picture
• What the different parts of a database
are
• How to think about information in a
database-shaped way
• The priorities involved in the database
planning process
What is a database?
A database is a storage
space for content /
information (data)
But what is data?
And where is it now?
Data is factual information about objects and
concepts, such as:
• measurements
• statistics
You can find it in:
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filing cabinets
spreadsheets
folders
ledgers
lists
colleagues’ memories
piles of papers on your desk
What does “managing
information” mean?
• Making information work for us
• Making information useful
• Avoiding "accidental disorganisation”
• Making information easily accessible
and integrated with the rest of our work
Managing as re-organising
We often need to access and re-sort
data for various uses. These may
include:
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Creating mailing lists
Writing management reports
Generating lists of selected news stories
Identifying various client needs
Can you add to the list?
Managing as re-processing
The processing power of a database
allows it to:
 Sort
 Match
 Link
 Aggregate
 Skip fields
 Calculate
 Arrange
Databases everywhere!
Because of the versatility of databases,
we find them powering all sorts of
projects:
 A web site that is capturing registered users
 A client tracking application for social service organisations
 A medical record system for a health care facility
 Your personal address book in your e-mail client
 A collection of word processed documents
 A system that issues airline reservations
Exercise 1:
Understanding data
and data-gathering
Different parts of a
database
• Fields
• Records
• Queries
• Reports
Fields
• Database storage units
• Generic elements of content
Exercise 2: Breaking
down content into fields
Use the table below to break each content
type into fields. Refer to the list of example
fields for suggestions
Records
A simple table showing fields (columns) and records(rows):
And as part of an MS Access database table:
Queries
• Queries are the information
retrieval requests you make to the
database
• Your queries are all about the
information you are trying to
gather
Reports
• If the query is a question...
...then the report is its answer
• Reports can be tailored to the
needs of the data-user, making the
information they extract much
more useful
The database
planning process
What kind of database are you
working on?
– Information and referral database
– Contact/client database
– Donation database (donorbase)
– Other
Information and
referral databases
• Store information about service
providers
• Track and match requests for referral
• Use a simple design
• Need to be maintained with up-to-date
and complete information
Contact/client databases
• Store contact information for client base
• Sortable by criteria like:
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Client interests
Services provided
Subscription expiry dates
Last contacted date
Donation databases
(donorbases)
 Generate reports of donations
 Order or sort donors according to different
conditions
 Record the various donation details of each
donor
 Create and sort lists of potential and current
donors
 Print letters, labels and reports
Exercise 3: Database
planning
• Work through the questions on the
worksheet
• Be aware of the sequence (order) in
which questions arise
• Repeat the exercise with your
colleagues in your organisation
Conclusion: Database the information tool
• A powerful tool for managing
information
• Information first - database second
• Take your co-workers with you
• Include them at all stages of the project planning
process
 Train them properly in the use of the tool
 Develop their understanding of the capacity of the
tool
Information first
Database second
Exercise 4
• Look through the questions and ideas
for database planning on each piece of
paper
• Try and group them into separate
database planning projects
• Leave out the ones which you think are
irrelevant
• Arrange them into logical trains of
thought
Introduction
to databases
Developed by Anna Feldman for the Association
for Progressive Communications (APC)