Data, Information, and Metadata Concepts

58 question-and-answer flashcards covering structured vs. unstructured data, data vs. information, multimedia databases, metadata properties, and quadratic-equation basics.

What type of data does a small business owner's customer contact database (names, addresses, phone numbers) represent?

Structured data (organized in a tabular form with specific data types).

Which statement best describes structured data?

Data stored in a tabular form, including numeric, character, and date data types.

Why is the small business owner’s customer database considered structured?

Because it is stored in a tabular form with specific data types like names, addresses, and phone numbers.

How many bytes are in one petabyte (PB)?

10^15 bytes.

How many bytes are in 3 petabytes?

3 × 10^15 bytes.

A database includes a photo image, a sound recording, and a scanned image. What types of data are these?

Multimedia data consisting of a photo image, sound recording, and scanned image.

Do multimedia data types such as images, audio, and scans fit into traditional tabular forms?

No, they do not fit into traditional tabular forms.

What type of data includes multimedia elements such as images, sound, and video?

Unstructured data.

A database containing a photo image, sound recording, and scanned image is an example of which data category?

Unstructured data.

What is the traditional definition of data?

Facts concerning objects and events that could be recorded and stored on computer media.

When a repair shop combines structured customer data with multimedia images, what types of data are involved?

Both structured and multimedia data.

What is the result of combining structured data with multimedia data in a database?

A true multimedia environment.

How many terabytes are in 3 petabytes?

3000 TB.

Why might a several-terabyte database contribute to complexity?

Because very large data volumes often involve complex data management and processing.

Why does variety of data add complexity to decision-support databases?

They require sophisticated analysis and integration of various data types.

Considering size and variety, why is a multi-terabyte decision-support database complex?

The combination of large size and the need for complex data analysis makes it complex.

Are the raw facts “Smith, John A. – 123456789” processed or contextualized?

No, they are raw and unprocessed.

Do such raw lists of facts increase a user’s knowledge?

No, they do not increase knowledge.

Are unprocessed lists of names and numbers considered data or information?

Data.

What is the first step in transforming raw facts into information?

Identify the raw data provided.

What context could convert the list of names and IDs into information?

Indicating that it is a class roster for a particular course.

Which structured presentation of the data increases user knowledge?

“Brown, Alice M. – Student ID: 112233445; Green, Bob C. – Student ID: 556677889.”

If Course A has 30 students, Course B 25, and Course C 40, what is total enrollment?

95 students.

Which course has the highest enrollment?

Course C.

Which graphical representation best summarizes the enrollment data?

A bar chart.

What might be a potential need for Course C given its highest enrollment?

Additional resources or faculty.

Given student data without course names, what additional item is needed for instructor usefulness?

Course names.

Which option correctly adds context and structure to the student data?

“Wilson, Emma J. – Student ID: 334455667 – Course: Math 101; Thompson, David K. – Student ID: 998877665 – Course: Physics 202.”

Dr. Smith teaches 3 courses, Dr. Johnson 2, Dr. Lee 4. What is total number of courses?

9.

Which faculty member has the highest workload?

Dr. Lee.

What percentage of the courses does Dr. Johnson teach?

22.22 %.

What is an appropriate summary statement of the faculty workload data?

Dr. Lee has the highest workload among 3 instructors teaching a total of 9 courses.

What is the quadratic formula for solving ax^2 + bx + c = 0?

x = (−b ± √(b^2 − 4ac)) / (2a).

For 2x^2 − 4x − 6 = 0, what is the discriminant?

64.

What are the roots of 2x^2 − 4x − 6 = 0?

x = 3 and x = −1.

What is the sum of the roots of 2x^2 − 4x − 6 = 0?

2.

What is the product of the roots of 2x^2 − 4x − 6 = 0?

−3.

In metadata, what is the correct length property for the data item “Student Name”?

50.

For “Course Code” metadata, what is the correct source property?

Academic Unit.

For “Student Name” metadata, what is the correct description property?

Full name of the student.

For “Course Code” metadata, what is the correct data type?

Alphanumeric.

In the “Student ID” metadata example, which property is missing/inconsistent?

Min value.

In the “GPA” metadata example, which property is missing or inconsistent?

None (all required properties are present).

Which GPA value is inconsistent with metadata (Decimal 0.0–4.0)?

4.5.

Which Student ID value is inconsistent with metadata (Integer length 9)?

12345678 (only 8 digits).

Which definition correctly specifies metadata for “Course Title”?

Name: Course Title, Type: Alphanumeric, Length: 100, Description: The title of the course, Source: Academic Unit.

Which definition correctly specifies metadata for “Enrollment Count”?

Name: Enrollment Count, Type: Integer, Length: 3, Min: 0, Max: 999, Description: Number of students enrolled in the course, Source: Registrar.

What is the data type of the “Major” item in the class roster metadata?

Alphanumeric.

What is the length of the “Major” data item?

4.

What is the description of the “Major” data item?

Student major.

What is the source of the “Major” data item?

Student Information System.

Why is managing metadata crucial for database designers and users?

It provides essential context about data, including source, meaning, and usage.

How does metadata help avoid data misinterpretation?

By distinguishing between similar data items and ensuring correct interpretation.

What best describes metadata?

Data about data.

Which is an example of descriptive metadata?

File title.

Which type of metadata is used to manage and control data?

Administrative metadata.

What is the primary purpose of structural metadata?

To provide information about the format and structure of data files.

Which of the following is NOT a common use of metadata?

Increasing data redundancy.