Database Design: Cases for Study

Problem 1

Think back on the other assignments you have been doing for the units in this section on Research Design. Develop a database for one (or some set of) those urban issues you found yourself questioning, building it from data already available on the Web (you can use URSI’s “Sources of Data” link from the Resources button on the home page, at http://www.mnsu.edu/ursi/Research/sourcesofdata.htm ).

Lay out the design of a database that you would use at work to answer the kinds of questions you have been asking these last few weeks. It should include at least 15 entities (with at least 3 attributes for each entity). Remember to design the data dictionary as part of this process.
Using some of the data you gathered for the earlier assignments, estimate the sample size of records (observations, cities, people) you would need to ask those sorts of questions.
Consider the sensitivity of your database (no, I don’t mean that you shouldn’t hurt its feelings—remember, in technical writing use technical words only in their technical sense)..
What is there to keep you from assembling this database now and using it for your Thesis?

Problem 2

Look at the US Census’ “American Fact Finder” website for the American Community Survey (ACS) for the most recent year: (http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DTGeoSearchByListServlet?ds_name=ACS_2002_EST_G00_&_lang=en&_ts=110716884202)

This is an extensive database. Explore its structure, using both forward and backward links (ie., drill deeper into the data and pull back out to see the larger database [!] within which it is embedded).

Lay out the design of a database. Remember to design the data dictionary as part of this process.
Estimate the sample size of records (comparison cities, city residents, etc.) you would need to get useful information from the database.
Consider the sensitivity of two entities from this database.

Next Section

Back to Syllabus

609