Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
being most strategic for the firm and briefly present your
selection and the rationale for the selection to the class.
c.
Where might you get this data?
d.
Take a first cut at designing a database for this application.
Using the chapter material on designing a database, show
the logical structure of the relational tables for this proposed
database. In your design, include the data attributes you
believe are necessary for this database, and show the primary
keys in your tables. Keep the size of the fields and tables as
small as possible to minimize required disk drive storage
space. Fill in the database tables with the sample data for
demonstration purposes (ten records). After your design is
complete, implement it using a relational DBMS.
3.
Imagine that you and your classmates are a research team
developing an improved process for evaluating auto loan
applicants. The goal of the research is to predict which
applicants will become delinquent or forfeit their loan.
Those who score well on the application will be accepted;
those who score exceptionally well will be considered for
lower-rate loans. Prepare a brief report for your instructor
addressing these questions:
a.
What data do you need for each loan applicant?
b.
What data might you need that is not typically requested
on a loan application form?
WEB EXERCISES
1.
Use a Web search engine to find information on specific
products for one of the following topics: business intelli-
gence, object-oriented databases, or database as a service.
Write a brief report describing what you found, including
a description of the database products and the companies
that developed them.
2.
List your five favorite Web sites. Consider the services that
they provide. For each site, suggest how one or more
databases might be used on the back end to supply infor-
mation to visitors.
CAREER EXERCISES
1.
What type of data is stored by businesses in a professional
field that interests you? How many databases might be used
to store that data? How would the data be organized within
each database?
2.
How could you use business intelligence (BI) to do a better
job at work? Give some specific examples of how BI can
give you a competitive advantage.
CASE STUDIES
Case One
In the 1980s, the Getty discovered a need within the art
research community. Researchers lacked a common vocab-
ulary with which to discuss art and artists' work. Establishing
a scientific vocabulary with which to describe artwork, style,
and technique would allow the study and appreciation of art-
work to flourish. To meet this need, the Getty created and
published the Art and Architecture Thesaurus (AAT) in 1990.
The three-volume tome, which includes a thesaurus of geo-
graphic names and the Union List of Artist Names, has
become a priceless resource for art historical research. It
provides tools, standards, and best practices for documenting
works of art, just as the Library of Congress provides a stan-
dard cataloging tool for libraries.
J. Paul Getty was an American industrialist who made his for-
tune in the oil business. He made his first million at age 25 in
1916, and later became the world's first billionaire. Getty
viewed art as a 'civilizing influence in society, and strongly
believed in making art available to the public for its education
and enjoyment.' To that end, he created an art museum in Los
Angeles, California, and established the J. Paul Getty Trust,
commonly referred to as the Getty.
The Getty includes four branches: the Getty Museum, a
research institute, a conservation institute, and a foundation.
