Question 1

A marketing representative, who wants to put the most positive spin on a tally of recent orders, chooses to include ones that have been canceled. This is an example of high-quality data.

Accepted Answer

Including canceled orders in a tally of recent orders is not a reflection of high-quality data. It does not provide an accurate portrayal of current orders and could potentially mislead decision-making.

Question 2

A relational database is less dependent on the hardware and its particular operating system.

Accepted Answer

A relational database is designed to be independent of the hardware and software it's installed on. This makes it more flexible and easier to migrate between different systems.

Question 3

Building interfaces or bridges between different databases to link common fields, is an integration strategy.

Accepted Answer

Building interfaces or bridges between different databases is a common integration strategy for linking common fields and enabling data sharing between systems.

Question 4

In an information organization system, a field can contain either numeric data or text, but not the two together.

Accepted Answer

A field can actually contain both numeric and text data, depending on the data type specified for the field. For example, a field can be set to the "text" data type and allow for alphanumeric entries, or set to the "number" data type and only allow for numeric entries. Some database systems even have a "mixed" data type that allows for a combination of numeric and text data in a single field.

Question 5

Shadow systems are managed by individuals or departments.

Accepted Answer

Shadow systems refer to any information system that is not formally recognized, authorized, or supported by an organization. They are often created and maintained by individuals or departments for their specific purposes without the approval of the organization's IT department.

Question 6

While generating payroll checks, the payroll department's computer programs read each record in the file and print out checks and payroll stubs for each person using the information contained in the files for that department. This is an example of data integration.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of data processing, not data integration. Data integration involves combining data from different sources, while this scenario describes using data from a single source to perform a specific task.

Question 7

Master data management has more to do with technology than people, processes, and governance.

Accepted Answer

Master data management involves not only technology, but also people, processes, and governance. While technology is an important component, it is not the only focus of master data management efforts. Effective master data management requires a holistic approach that addresses all four components - people, processes, governance, and technology.

Question 8

Shards should be accessed from the same computer for improved performance.

Accepted Answer

Shards can be distributed across multiple computers to improve performance through parallel processing and load balancing.

Question 9

Interactive voice response (IVR) is a system used to handle massive call volumes.

Accepted Answer

Interactive voice response (IVR) is designed to handle high call volumes and assist callers by providing automated guidance and answering common questions.

Question 10

Companies often use the same relational DBMS for their data warehouse as they use for their operational database, but loaded onto a separate server and tuned for fast retrieval and reporting.

Accepted Answer

This is a common practice known as using a separate "Reporting" or "Analytics" server, allowing for faster data retrieval and reporting from the data warehouse. Using the same DBMS allows for easier integration between the two databases.

Question 11

In an organization, each employee might work for one or more projects, as well as for different employers. In such a case, the best approach by a database manager would be to create multiple records for the employee.

Accepted Answer

Creating multiple records for the same employee can lead to data redundancy and inconsistency. Instead, a relational database design using tables with foreign keys and many-to-many relationships would be more efficient.

Question 12

During mergers, integration of multiple databases becomes a major challenge.

Accepted Answer

During mergers, integration of multiple databases from different companies can be a major challenge due to inconsistencies in data formats, structures, and access controls. It requires careful planning and execution to ensure that the data is properly integrated and accessible to all stakeholders.

Question 13

Database developers avoid using meaningful information for primary keys.

Accepted Answer

Database developers often use a system-generated or arbitrary identifier for primary keys instead of using meaningful information (such as a person's name or a product's description) to avoid problems with duplicate values and to keep the key as short and simple as possible.

Question 14

A blog with a title, subtitle, content with date of creation, and a few images can be considered an example of semi-structured information.

Accepted Answer

Semi-structured information is information that has some structure but does not conform to a rigid data model or schema. A blog with a title, subtitle, and content can be considered semi-structured, as these elements provide some structure to the information, but the content itself may vary in format and length. The inclusion of a few images further adds to the semi-structured nature of the blog. Additionally, the date of creation provides some context and structure to the information.

Question 15

Data stewards ensure that people adhere to the definitions for the master data in their organizational units.

Accepted Answer

Data stewards are responsible for ensuring that the master data definitions are followed and enforced within their organizational units. They play a key role in managing and maintaining the quality of the organization's data.

Question 16

An organization's data warehouse contains information drawn from multiple sources that can be used for analysis, intelligence gathering, and strategic planning.

Accepted Answer

A data warehouse is designed to integrate and consolidate data from multiple sources to support complex analysis and decision-making.

Question 17

While creating a relational database for an organization, "Employees" would constitute one attribute with entities such as employee ID number, last name, first name, birth date, e-mail address, and phone number.

Accepted Answer

"Employees" would constitute a table or entity, while employee ID number, last name, first name, birth date, e-mail address, and phone number would be attributes (or columns) of that table.

Question 18

When a user clicks "SUBMIT" on a web-based survey, the record is inserted into the database through an SQL command.

Accepted Answer

When a user clicks "SUBMIT" on a web-based survey, the data entered in the survey is typically processed and then inserted into the database using SQL commands.

Question 19

A network database supports many-to-many relationships.

Accepted Answer

A network database model allows for many-to-many relationships, where multiple records can be related to multiple other records. This is achieved through the use of pointers and record identifiers, which can create complex and interconnected data structures.

Question 20

The data collected by online pop-up surveys is considered to be high-quality data.

Accepted Answer

Online pop-up surveys often suffer from selection bias, low response rates, and lack of representativeness, which can compromise the quality of the data collected.

Quiz 4: Managing Information Resources with Databases