ITGS Database Objectives

2.2.2 Databases and spreadsheets
Social and ethical issues
Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of databases and
spreadsheets. These may include:
• privacy of information in different cultures
• rights of individuals with respect to the storage of personal data
• social consequences of outdated or incorrect data stored in databases
• social consequences of the release of sensitive data stored in databases
• legislation on access and use of database information in different countries
• responsibility for the security of data stored in databases from different perspectives, for example,
the developer, the user and the management of an organization
• accountability for the negative social effects caused by insecure databases
• ethical issues related to the collection and use of personal data
• ethical issues related to the selling of data stored in databases.
Knowledge of technology
In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of databases, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may include the following.
Design and creation concepts
• Key terms—field, key field, record, search, query, sort, database management system, mail merge
• Flat-file database versus relational database
• Paper files versus electronic files
• Data redundancy and data integrity
• Updating data
Storage and access concepts
• Data transfer between a database and a spreadsheet
• Search and the use of the Boolean operators (AND, OR and NOT)
• Data mining/data matching
Presentation concepts
• Report generation
• Special-purpose databases, for example, personal information managers, encyclopedias, library
systems

In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of spreadsheets, the
student must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may include the following.
Design and creation concepts
• Key terms—cell, cell format (number, text, value, function, calculation, date, currency), row, column, label, macro, replicate, template, worksheet, “what if” questions, range, absolute and relative reference
• Paper files versus electronic files
• Reliability and integrity of data
Storage and access concepts
• Data transfer between a database and a spreadsheet