Processing Data - Content

Question 1

Why is inaccurate data a serious problem for organisations?

Answer 1

it leads to incorrect decisions being made, for example:

Incorrectly recorded stock levels could lead to ordering too little or too much stock
Inaccurate traffic information could lead to being late for an interview.

Question 2

What are the two main methods of ensuring data accuracy?

Answer 2

Validation and Verification

Question 3

What are the four different validation checks?

Answer 3

Type check - data must be the correct type.
Range check - numerical data must be between set values.
Length check - data must be less than or greater than a certain number of digits,
Format check - data must be in the correct predefined format.

Question 4

What are the two verification checks?

Answer 4

Double-entry check - data must be entered twice, and both entries must match.
Proofreading check - data must be read through to ensure there are no data entry errors.

Question 5

What is the 4 step process of extracting and sorting data?

Answer 5

1 - Data is extracted from unstructured sources, such as web pages, emails and documents

2 - The data is entered into a system for processing.

3 - The data is stored in a
database program to add structure.

4 - The database can be sorted and searched using SQL queries.

Question 6

What is data modelling?

Answer 6

It ensures that the database is correctly structured so that the data can be efficiently processed

Question 7

What is numerical modelling?

Answer 7

Simulating systems to help analyse data and make predictions.

Example: weather models