INF-21306 Data Management

Course

Credits 6.00

Language of instruction:

English

Assumed knowledge on:

Fluency in English, at ease with computers, basic mathematics

Continuation courses:

Thesis work, INF-31306 Information Systems

Contents:

This is a first but thorough course in data management. Includes extensive practical work in the design, construction and use of databases in the students' field of study. Practical work involves SQL and Microsoft Access, possibly other database software such as Oracle. The main focus is on research data.

Learning outcomes:

To become competent as a manager of data and a worker with data models and data bases. At the end of the course the student is expected to be able to:
- have a managerial perspective on data as an organization's memory;
- design relational databases in the area of their study;
- use relational, object-oriented and possibly other state-of-the-art modelling techniques;
- construct a relational database, including integrity constraints;
- demonstrate the use of SQL for complex queries;
- be a competent user of a database software package.

Activities:

- take a tutorial in a database package (MS Access);
- do realistic database design exercises;
- do advanced database querying exercises;
- study the course book "Data Management";
- perform a database development project in a team about a topic in the students' field of study, write a report on it, present the results.

Examination:

There will be two marks, both counting for 50% of the final grade:
- evaluation of practical work done during the course;
- individual written examination.

Literature:

Blackboard offers all support material: study guide, explanatory texts, self tests, sample exam questions and sample project results of prior teams. The book for the course is: Richard T. Watson (2006) Data Management, Databases and Organizations. Fifth edition. New York: John Wiley ISBN 0471-71536-0, www.wiley.com/college/watson.