SPREADSHEETS & DATABASESManagement and visualisation of data

OUTLINE

Spreadsheets Pivot Tables Visualisation Relational Databases

What are they? Strengths? Limitations?

A Research Question Do the methods of data collection provide evidence for

the research question? Managing data: Are spreadsheets or relational

database better?

SPREADSHEET: DAILY ACTIVITIES

Category Student Activity Date Time Duration

ADL Michelle Eating 7/9/2008 8-9am 1

Prod Act Sina Class 7/9/2008 9-10am 1

Leisure Zun Hanging out 7/9/2008 8-8pm 12

MANAGING DATA IN A SPREADSHEET

Student ADL Leisure Prod Act Grand Total

Michelle 151 42 131.5 324.6

Sina 144 83.5 109.7 337.2

Zun 200 60 70.25 330

Grand Total 495 185.5 311.45 991.8

CATEGORIES OF ACTIVITY

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

ADL Leisure ProductiveActivitiesCategory

Hou

rs

MichelleSinaZunGrand Total

VISUALISATION

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pwN_b0qZlR-kvl3f0BI1scQ&hl=en

HOURS SPENT IN ACTIVITIES

RELATIONAL DATABASE

Group of tables that “talk” via a primary key

Activity Types

Primary Key Activity Log

Activity Name Category

Student’s name

Activity name Duration

RELATIONAL DATABASE

Easy access and retrieval

Present information in a useful way

Integrity Flexibility Information sharing

Complex Privacy Expensive

Advantages Disadvantages

SPREADSHEET

Simple Good for one

purpose

Limited range of data

Redundancy Inconsistency Human error

Advantages Disadvantages

WHICH TOOL IS BETTER FOR MANAGING DATA: AN EXAMPLE

MANAGING DATA FOR ANALYSIS: WHICH IS THE BETTER APPROACH?

Spreadsheet vs Relational Database

General vs specific data manipulation