D426 v3 D426 v3 2/18/2026
Why is data collected and processed? To aid in tasks like forecasting weather, analyzing financial
investments, and tracking the global spread of pandemics.
List three important ways data can vary. Scope (amount of data), Format (numbers, text, images, audio,
video), Access (private or public).
Give an example of data scope. A small business might track a few thousand items; a large
commerce website might track billions.
Give an example of data format. A phone's proximity sensor generates raw numbers; a satellite
captures images.
Give an example of data access. A retail company uses private customer data; a government may be
required to share certain data sets.
How was most data recorded historically? Mostly analog, encoded as continuous variations on various physical
media (e.g., vinyl disks, film).
How is most data recorded today? Mostly digital, encoded as zeros and ones on electronic and
magnetic media.
What did the shift from analog to digital data The rise of large computer databases.
facilitate?
Page 1 D426 v3.pdf
,D426 v3 D426 v3 2/18/2026
Name five websites that offer public data sets. data.gov, cancer.gov/research, kaggle.com, data.nasa.gov,
opendata.cityofnewyork.us
What is a database? A collection of data in a structured format.
Where are modern databases usually stored? On computers.
Why is database structure important? It ensures similar data is stored in a standardized manner.
Why do modern databases require sophisticated They may contain trillions of bytes of data and support thousands of
software tools? simultaneous users.
What is a database system (DBMS)? Software that reads and writes data in a database, ensuring data is
secure, internally consistent, and available at all times.
What is a query? A request to retrieve or change data in a database, written in a
specialized query language.
What is a query language? A specialized programming language designed specifically for
database systems.
What is a database application? Software that helps business users interact with database systems
and simplifies the user experience.
Page 2 D426 v3.pdf
,D426 v3 D426 v3 2/18/2026
Why are database applications necessary? Most users are not familiar with query languages and direct
database access is usually not feasible.
How is database software organized? In layers: applications interact with a query language, which interacts
with the database system.
What is an information management system? A software application that manages corporate data for a specific
business function, usually includes a database system and other
components.
How is the term "database" used? Sometimes refers to the data itself, sometimes to the database
system (DBMS); the meaning is usually clear from context.
List four main database roles. Database administrator, database designer, database programmer,
database user.
What does a database administrator do? Secures the database system and enforces procedures for user
access and database system availability.
What does a database designer do? Determines the format of each data element and the overall
database structure, balancing several priorities.
What does a database programmer do? Develops programs that utilize a database, combining database
query languages with general-purpose programming languages.
Page 3 D426 v3.pdf
, D426 v3 D426 v3 2/18/2026
What does a database user do? Requests, updates, or uses stored data to generate reports or
information.
When might one person have multiple database In simple databases with a limited amount of data and few users.
roles?
When are database roles usually separated? In large, complex databases.
When can a small database be managed with a When it is shared by only one or two users.
text file or spreadsheet?
Why are text files and spreadsheets inadequate They lack performance, authorization, security, rules enforcement,
for large complex databases? and recovery features required by large, multi-user databases.
List five special requirements for large complex Performance, Authorization, Security, Rules, Recovery.
databases.
Why does query response time degrade in large Because many users and applications may access large databases
databases? simultaneously.
How do database systems maintain fast By structuring data properly on storage media and processing
response times? queries efficiently.
Page 4 D426 v3.pdf
Why is data collected and processed? To aid in tasks like forecasting weather, analyzing financial
investments, and tracking the global spread of pandemics.
List three important ways data can vary. Scope (amount of data), Format (numbers, text, images, audio,
video), Access (private or public).
Give an example of data scope. A small business might track a few thousand items; a large
commerce website might track billions.
Give an example of data format. A phone's proximity sensor generates raw numbers; a satellite
captures images.
Give an example of data access. A retail company uses private customer data; a government may be
required to share certain data sets.
How was most data recorded historically? Mostly analog, encoded as continuous variations on various physical
media (e.g., vinyl disks, film).
How is most data recorded today? Mostly digital, encoded as zeros and ones on electronic and
magnetic media.
What did the shift from analog to digital data The rise of large computer databases.
facilitate?
Page 1 D426 v3.pdf
,D426 v3 D426 v3 2/18/2026
Name five websites that offer public data sets. data.gov, cancer.gov/research, kaggle.com, data.nasa.gov,
opendata.cityofnewyork.us
What is a database? A collection of data in a structured format.
Where are modern databases usually stored? On computers.
Why is database structure important? It ensures similar data is stored in a standardized manner.
Why do modern databases require sophisticated They may contain trillions of bytes of data and support thousands of
software tools? simultaneous users.
What is a database system (DBMS)? Software that reads and writes data in a database, ensuring data is
secure, internally consistent, and available at all times.
What is a query? A request to retrieve or change data in a database, written in a
specialized query language.
What is a query language? A specialized programming language designed specifically for
database systems.
What is a database application? Software that helps business users interact with database systems
and simplifies the user experience.
Page 2 D426 v3.pdf
,D426 v3 D426 v3 2/18/2026
Why are database applications necessary? Most users are not familiar with query languages and direct
database access is usually not feasible.
How is database software organized? In layers: applications interact with a query language, which interacts
with the database system.
What is an information management system? A software application that manages corporate data for a specific
business function, usually includes a database system and other
components.
How is the term "database" used? Sometimes refers to the data itself, sometimes to the database
system (DBMS); the meaning is usually clear from context.
List four main database roles. Database administrator, database designer, database programmer,
database user.
What does a database administrator do? Secures the database system and enforces procedures for user
access and database system availability.
What does a database designer do? Determines the format of each data element and the overall
database structure, balancing several priorities.
What does a database programmer do? Develops programs that utilize a database, combining database
query languages with general-purpose programming languages.
Page 3 D426 v3.pdf
, D426 v3 D426 v3 2/18/2026
What does a database user do? Requests, updates, or uses stored data to generate reports or
information.
When might one person have multiple database In simple databases with a limited amount of data and few users.
roles?
When are database roles usually separated? In large, complex databases.
When can a small database be managed with a When it is shared by only one or two users.
text file or spreadsheet?
Why are text files and spreadsheets inadequate They lack performance, authorization, security, rules enforcement,
for large complex databases? and recovery features required by large, multi-user databases.
List five special requirements for large complex Performance, Authorization, Security, Rules, Recovery.
databases.
Why does query response time degrade in large Because many users and applications may access large databases
databases? simultaneously.
How do database systems maintain fast By structuring data properly on storage media and processing
response times? queries efficiently.
Page 4 D426 v3.pdf
