DATA HANDLING PROJECT
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 COMPUTER
EXPERIENCE
OF PUPILS
ENTERING
YEAR 7

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GCSE ICT

 

CREATING A DATABASE
  1. Look at the sample questionnaire (which will load into a separate window on your screen) and decide on a suitable fieldname for the data that each question provides.
  2. Load your data handling program and create a new data file with the title or filename: Y7data.
  3. Start entering the data from the questionnaire making sure that you have only 1 record (or row) when you have finished. Save your data file (Y7data) and print the data making sure that it fits on one page of paper. Label this 1 - My first attempt.
  4. Now it isn't quite that simple! We have about 200 records to enter. You need to look again at the questionnaire and totally rethink what you type into your database by considering the following factors:
  • Everyone must use exactly the same field names, in the same order, so that we will be able to join all the files together later.
  • It is also a good idea to keep the fields as narrow as possible to save memory and enable faster processing. Also, it might then be possible to print it in table layout, exactly as it is shown on your screen.
  • Mistakes or inconsistencies made by the typist can be a real nuisance when searching for information, eg. St Johns is not the same as St.Johns or St John's. Also, there may be as many as 200 records to be entered so it is important to keep the amount of typing to an absolute minimum.
  1. Edit the fields and the data to make the necessary changes to your database.
  2. Save and print your data again. Label this 2 - Simplified database using codes and write a brief note on it to explain both what you have done and why.

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