data

Primary Key (PK)

A field that uniquely identifies each record in a table. (Mandatory keywords: uniquely identify)

Foreign Key (FK)

A primary key from another table placed into a second table to establish a relational link between records

Text / VARCHAR Data Type Rule

Assigned to non-calculated alphanumeric fields (e.g. Postcode / PhoneNum / StudentID) because they are not calculated and numeric types strip leading zeroes

Numeric Data Type Rule

Data type assigned strictly to fields that are actively used in mathematical calculations (e.g. TotalPrice / Quantity)

First Normal Form (1NF)

A database table state where all column intersections contain a single atomic value, there are no repeating groups and a primary key is designated

Second Normal Form (2NF)

A database table state in 1NF where all non-key attributes are fully dependent on the primary key, removing partial dependencies

Third Normal Form (3NF)

A database table state in 2NF where no non-key attribute depends on another non-key attribute, removing transitive dependencies (calculated fields removed / FKs placed in transaction tables)

SQL INNER JOIN

An SQL clause used to join records across related tables where matching key values exist, excluding unmatched or orphaned records

Data Validation

Automated software checks performed at the time of data entry (Development stage) to ensure data is reasonable and complete (e.g. range check / existence check)

Data Verification

Checking entered data after data entry to ensure it accurately matches raw source documents (e.g. proofreading / double data entry)

Data Integrity

The accuracy, correctness and overall quality of data

Data Integrity core characteristics

Accuracy, Authenticity, Completeness, Correctness, Reasonableness, Relevance, Timeliness

Data Integrity Criteria

Measurable questions or statements linked to scenario outcomes used to judge data quality

Data Cleansing Unit Removal Step

Stripping non-numeric text labels (e.g. 'cm', '$') from data cells and moving the unit of measurement into the column header

Data Cleansing Complete Steps

1. Strip text from cells -> 2. Shift units to header -> 3. Standardise units across rows -> 4. Trim whitespace -> 5. Verify against raw source data

Functional Requirements

What a software solution must do / functions it must perform (directly linked to required output screens or data)

Non-Functional Requirements

Quality and usability attributes of a solution (e.g. readability / user-friendliness / fast load speed / security / portability)

Evaluation Strategy

Assessing a solution post-implementation

Evaluation Strategy: 4 elements

Timeframe / Evaluator / Data Collection Method / Criterion Link

Evaluation Strategy: Timeframe

3-6 months post-implementation

Evaluation Strategy: Data Collection Method

Surveys or interviews

Evaluation Strategy: Criterion Link

Measuring against Functional & Non-Functional requirements

Framing Open-Ended Research Questions

Must start with What, Why or How / focus on an underlying business or organisational problem / NEVER ask about software or chart choices

Ethical Data Collection Techniques

Consent Forms (permission) / Participant Information Statements (study details) / Anonymous Collection (avoiding names)

De-identification timing

Done AFTER data collection (not an ethical collection technique)

Privacy Act 1988 (Cth)

Federal legislation governing how personal information is handled by Australian federal agencies and private sector organisations under the APPs

Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic)

Victorian state legislation governing privacy and data protection for Victorian public sector bodies / local councils / public contractors

Privacy Amendment (Notifiable Data Breaches) Act 2017

Legislation setting mandatory response procedures when a data breach occurs

Notifiable Data Breach 4-Step Procedure

1. Contain the breach -> 2. Assess the impact -> 3. Notify OAIC & affected individuals -> 4. Review security practices

Health Records Act 2001 (Vic)

Victorian state legislation governing the collection, handling and privacy of health information by public and private health service providers

Physical Security Controls

Tangible barriers protecting physical hardware and premises (e.g. door locks / biometric fingerprint room scanners / keycards / CCTV / server cages)

Software Security Controls

Digital protections within software or OS (e.g. passwords / Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) / firewalls / SSL HTTPS encryption / user access permissions)

4-Part Backup Strategy

Frequency / Type / Media / Location

4-Part Backup Strategy: Location rule

MUST specify off-site

4-Part Backup Strategy: Type options

Full, incremental or differential

Full Backup

Complete copy of all system data

Full Backup: trade-offs

High storage space / slow backup time / fastest restoration time (only 1 backup set needed)

Incremental Backup

Saves data changed since the last backup (full or incremental)

Incremental Backup: trade-offs

Lowest storage space / fastest backup time / slowest restoration time

Incremental Backup: restoration requires

Full + ALL daily incrementals in order

Differential Backup

Saves all data changed since the last full backup

Differential Backup: trade-offs

Moderate storage space / moderate backup time / faster restoration than incremental

Differential Backup: restoration requires

Full + latest differential set

Fastest restoration backup type

Full backup

Slowest restoration backup type

Incremental backup

Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) Testing

Verifying that system restoration procedures work effectively to recover business operations following a disaster

DRP Restoration Verification Steps

1. Restore backup files to temporary server -> 2. Perform row or file count and file size comparisons against pre-disaster logs -> 3. Conduct verification checks to confirm data integrity

Cloud Storage Operational Trade-off

Transitioning to cloud storage means file access is strictly dependent on an active internet connection

Pearson's Correlation Coefficient (r)

Statistical measure of the strength and direction of a linear relationship between two quantitative variables (-1 to +1)

Positive Skew (Right-Skewed)

Data distribution where the tail extends to the right and the mean is greater than the median

Negative Skew (Left-Skewed)

Data distribution where the tail extends to the left and the mean is less than the median

Normal Distribution

Symmetrical bell-shaped curve distribution where mean = median = mode

APA Referencing Standard

The mandatory American Psychological Association referencing format prescribed by VCAA for citing sources (writing 'Harvard' gets 0 marks)

VCAA Software Functions

The 4 primary Development stage manipulation tools: Sorting / Filtering / Calculations / Charting

Appearance Design Principles (ARC-SB)

Alignment / Repetition / Contrast / Space / Balance

Functionality Design Principles

Usability (robustness / flexibility / ease of use) and Accessibility (navigation pathways / error tolerance)

Visualisation Conventions

Standard visual formatting: Chart titles / labelled axes with units / legends or keys / data source citations / currency or percentage symbols

Media Constraints

Physical or hardware limitations of the display medium (e.g. static printed paper size A3, A4 vs dynamic digital screen with interactive filters)

Infographic Format Elements

Text or Headings / Images or Graphics / Charts or Graphs / Tables

Paper size in an infographic

A media constraint, NOT a format element

Mock-up vs Storyboard

Mock-up is a visual layout diagram of a single screen or page. Storyboard shows visual layouts AND navigation pathways across multiple screens

Analysis stage techniques

Brainstorming / interviews / surveys / literature reviews

Design stage tools

Mock-ups / storyboards / IPO charts / data dictionaries

Gantt Chart Critical Path

The sequence of dependent tasks determining the shortest total time to complete a project (tasks have zero float or slack time)

Gantt Chart Milestone

A significant event or goal in a project timeline with 0 duration

Coding Qualitative Data

Categorising open-ended text responses into discrete themes or categories and counting frequencies so they can be processed numerically

Password Hashing

A one-way mathematical algorithm transforming plaintext into a fixed-length digest / non-reversible, unlike encryption

Symmetric vs Asymmetric Encryption

Symmetric uses a single shared key for encryption and decryption / Asymmetric uses a public key to encrypt and a private key to decrypt (e.g. HTTPS SSL)

AI in Data Analytics & Cybersecurity

Analytics: prompt-based visualisation generation and predictive ML modelling. Cybersecurity: real-time threat detection / automated response / user behaviour analytics