Data Modeling Fundamentals

The purpose of this book is to provide a practical approach for IT professionals to acquire the necessary knowledge and expertise in data modeling to function effectively. It begins with an overview of basic data modeling concepts, introduces the methods and techniques, provides a comprehensive case study to present the details of the data model components, covers the implementation of the data model with emphasis on quality components, and concludes with a presentation of a realistic approach to data modeling. It clearly describes how a generic data model is created to represent truly the enterprise information requirements.

Data Modeling Essentials, Third Edition, covers the basics of data modeling while focusing on developing a facility in techniques, rather than a simple familiarization with "the rules". In order to enable students to apply the basics of data modeling to real models, the book addresses the realities of developing systems in real-world situations by assessing the merits of a variety of possible solutions as well as using language and diagramming methods that represent industry practice. This revised edition has been given significantly expanded coverage and reorganized for greater reader comprehension even as it retains its distinctive hallmarks of readability and usefulness. Beginning with the basics, the book provides a thorough grounding in theory before guiding the reader through the various stages of applied data modeling and database design. Later chapters address advanced subjects, including business rules, data warehousing, enterprise-wide modeling and data management. It includes an entirely new section discussing the development of logical and physical modeling, along with new material describing a powerful technique for model verification. It also provides an excellent resource for additional lectures and exercises. This text is the ideal reference for data modelers, data architects, database designers, DBAs, and systems analysts, as well as undergraduate and graduate-level students looking for a real-world perspective. Thorough coverage of the fundamentals and relevant theory. Recognition and support for the creative side of the process. Expanded coverage of applied data modeling includes new chapters on logical and physical database design. New material describing a powerful technique for model verification. Unique coverage of the practical and human aspects of modeling, such as working with business specialists, managing change, and resolving conflict.

Adopting the latest technological and data related innovations has caused many organisations to realise they don’t have a firm grasp on their basic operational data. This is a problem that Logical Data Models are uniquely qualified to help them solve. The realisation of the need to define a Logical Data Model may be driven by any number of reasons including; trying to link Big Data Analytics to operational data, plunging into Digital Marketing, choosing the best SaaS solution, carrying out a core Data Migration, developing a Data Warehouse, enhancing Data Governance processes, or even just trying to get everyone to agree on their Product specifications! This book will provide you with the skills required to start to answer these and many similar types of questions. It is not written with a focus on IT development, so you don’t need a technical background to get the most from it. But for any professional working in an organisation’s data landscape, this book will provide the skills they need to define high quality and beneficial data models quickly and easily. It does this using a wealth of practical examples, tips and techniques, as well as providing checklists and templates. It is structured into three parts: The Foundations: What are the solid foundations necessary for building effective data models? The Tools: What Tools are required to enable you to specify clear, precise and accurate data model definitions? The Deliverables: What processes will you need to successfully define the models, what will they deliver, and how can we make them beneficial to the organisation? “In this data-rich era, it is even more critical for organisations to answer the question of what their data means and the value it can bring. Those who can, will gain a competitive advantage through their use of data to streamline their operations and energise their strategies. Core to revealing this meaning, is the data model that is now, more than ever, the lynchpin of success. The Data Model Toolkit provides the essential knowledge and skills that will ensure this success.” – Reem Zahran, Global IT Platform Director, TNS “We work with many enterprise customers to help them transform their technology and it always starts with data. The key is a clear definition of their data quality, completeness and governance. This book shows you step by step how to define and use Data Models as powerful tools to define an organisation’s data and maximise its business benefit.” – John Casserly, CEO, Xceed Group

Object-Role Modeling (ORM) is a fact-based approach to data modeling that expresses the information requirements of any business domain simply in terms of objects that play roles in relationships. All facts of interest are treated as instances of attribute-free structures known as fact types, where the relationship may be unary (e.g. Person smokes), binary (e.g. Person was born on Date), ternary (e.g. Customer bought Product on Date), or longer. Fact types facilitate natural expression, are easy to populate with examples for validation purposes, and have greater semantic stability than attribute-based structures such as those used in Entity Relationship Modeling (ER) or the Unified Modeling Language (UML). All relevant facts, constraints and derivation rules are expressed in controlled natural language sentences that are intelligible to users in the business domain being modeled. This allows ORM data models to be validated by business domain experts who are unfamiliar with ORM’s graphical notation. For the data modeler, ORM’s graphical notation covers a much wider range of constraints than can be expressed in industrial ER or UML class diagrams, and thus allows rich visualization of the underlying semantics. Suitable for both novices and experienced practitioners, this book covers the fundamentals of the ORM approach. Written in easy-to-understand language, it shows how to design an ORM model, illustrating each step with simple examples. Each chapter ends with a practical lab that discusses how to use the freeware NORMA tool to enter ORM models and use it to automatically generate verbalizations of the model and map it to a relational database.

Learn how to use R to turn raw data into insight, knowledge, and understanding. This book introduces you to R, RStudio, and the tidyverse, a collection of R packages designed to work together to make data science fast, fluent, and fun. Suitable for readers with no previous programming experience, R for Data Science is designed to get you doing data science as quickly as possible. Authors Hadley Wickham and Garrett Grolemund guide you through the steps of importing, wrangling, exploring, and modeling your data and communicating the results. You'll get a complete, big-picture understanding of the data science cycle, along with basic tools you need to manage the details. Each section of the book is paired with exercises to help you practice what you've learned along the way. You'll learn how to: Wrangle—transform your datasets into a form convenient for analysis Program—learn powerful R tools for solving data problems with greater clarity and ease Explore—examine your data, generate hypotheses, and quickly test them Model—provide a low-dimensional summary that captures true "signals" in your dataset Communicate—learn R Markdown for integrating prose, code, and results

This open access book comprehensively covers the fundamentals of clinical data science, focusing on data collection, modelling and clinical applications. Topics covered in the first section on data collection include: data sources, data at scale (big data), data stewardship (FAIR data) and related privacy concerns. Aspects of predictive modelling using techniques such as classification, regression or clustering, and prediction model validation will be covered in the second section. The third section covers aspects of (mobile) clinical decision support systems, operational excellence and value-based healthcare. Fundamentals of Clinical Data Science is an essential resource for healthcare professionals and IT consultants intending to develop and refine their skills in personalized medicine, using solutions based on large datasets from electronic health records or telemonitoring programmes. The book’s promise is “no math, no code”and will explain the topics in a style that is optimized for a healthcare audience.

Combines topics from two traditionally distinct quantitative subjects, probability/statistics and management science/optimization, in a unified treatment of quantitative methods and models for management. Stresses those fundamental concepts that are most important for the practical analysis of management decisions: modeling and evaluating uncertainty explicitly, understanding the dynamic nature of decision-making, using historical data and limited information effectively, simulating complex systems, and allocating scarce resources optimally.

Data modeling is one of the most critical phases in the database application development process, but also the phase most likely to fail. A master data modeler must come into any organization, understand its data requirements, and skillfully model the data for applications that most effectively serve organizational needs. Mastering Data Modeling is a complete guide to becoming a successful data modeler. Featuring a requirements-driven approach, this book clearly explains fundamental concepts, introduces a user-oriented data modeling notation, and describes a rigorous, step-by-step process for collecting, modeling, and documenting the kinds of data that users need. Assuming no prior knowledge, Mastering Data Modeling sets forth several fundamental problems of data modeling, such as reconciling the software developer's demand for rigor with the users' equally valid need to speak their own (sometimes vague) natural language. In addition, it describes the good habits that help you respond to these fundamental problems. With these good habits in mind, the book describes the Logical Data Structure (LDS) notation and the process of controlled evolution by which you can create low-cost, user-approved data models that resist premature obsolescence. Also included is an encyclopedic analysis of all data shapes that you will encounter. Most notably, the book describes The Flow, a loosely scripted process by which you and the users gradually but continuously improve an LDS until it faithfully represents the information needs. Essential implementation and technology issues are also covered. You will learn about such vital topics as: The fundamental problems of data modeling The good habits that help a data modeler be effective and economical LDS notation, which encourages these good habits How to read an LDS aloud--in declarative English sentences How to write a well-formed (syntactically correct) LDS How to get users to name the parts of an LDS with words from their own business vocabulary How to visualize data for an LDS A catalog of LDS shapes that recur throughout all data models The Flow--the template for your conversations with users How to document an LDS for users, data modelers, and technologists How to map an LDS to a relational schema How LDS differs from other notations and why "Story interludes" appear throughout the book, illustrating real-world successes of the LDS notation and controlled evolution process. Numerous exercises help you master critical skills. In addition, two detailed, annotated sample conversations with users show you the process of controlled evolution in action.