Establishing the Worthiness of Information Systems Data through Information

Engineering

Presenter: Eghosa Ugboma

Florida Memorial University

Miami Gardens, Florida

Eghosa Ugboma Establishing the Worthiness of Information Systems Data through Information Engineering

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Question How is this paper related to Information Systems Education?

Answer Shows one good method of planning, designing, and creating

error-free information systems Question

What is the key issue? Answer

A tool called the planning sheet that uses Information Engineering principles to develop effective information systems

Question What is being learned?

Answer The planning sheet is an excellent instrument used to optimize

data tables information systems use

The Tool (Planning Sheet)

Eghosa Ugboma Establishing the Worthiness of Information Systems Data through Information Engineering

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The Tool (Planning Sheet) The planning sheet is used at the information level

during the database design aspect of an information system

Adopts the data modeling approach of the planning phase of information engineering model data to meet the reliability requirement stipulated for the

data tables used by an information system The sheet is used to:

Document the characteristics of data tables of an information system

Ensure that the information system’s data integrity is enforced Ensure that the user requirement is met

Eghosa Ugboma Establishing the Worthiness of Information Systems Data through Information Engineering

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Uses both descriptive and problem-solving approach to mark out required rules These rules are the underlying factor for establishing

the reliability and the dependability of data within data tables of an information system

Shows how data integrity constraints are defined for each attribute of relational tables an information system uses

Assists in making an information system reliable Serves unique and different functions from Normalization

process and Entity-Relationship model

The Tool (Planning Sheet)

Eghosa Ugboma Establishing the Worthiness of Information Systems Data through Information Engineering

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A Sample of the Planning Sheet

Database Table Planning Sheet

Database Name:_______________________________________________

Table Name:__________________________________________________

Purpose Of The Table:__________________________________________

__________________________________________

Attribute Specification

Description Name Data

Type

Size Decimal

Positions

Domain Format Primary

Key

Foreign

Key

Unique Not Null Default Index

Eghosa Ugboma Establishing the Worthiness of Information Systems Data through Information Engineering

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Implementing Data Integrity For a Data Table Using the Planning Sheet

Database Table Planning SheetDatabase Name: Program_DbaseTable Name: CoursePurpose Of The Table: Stores courses’ information in order to keep track of faculty members assigned to teach the courses and students registered for the courses in the Specified semester

Attribute Specification

Description Name Data Type

Size Decimal Position

Domain Format Primary Key

Foreign Key

Unique Not Null

Default Index

Courses’ identification codes

Crs_Code Character

7 0-9; A-Z XXXX999 (upper case) Yes

Course names Crs_Name Character

<=20 0-9; A-Z; a-z; Space

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXOrXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX99(Mixed case)

Yes

Courses’ section numbers

Sec_Num Numeric 2 0 0-9 99 Yes

Credit hours assigned to each course

Cret_Hour Numeric 1 0 1-5 9 Yes 0

Faculty identification numbers

Faculty_Id Character

9 0-9 999999999 Yes

Student identification numbers

Student_Id Character

9 0-9 999999999 Yes

Semester identification codes

Sem_Code Character

<=12 0-9; A-Z; a-z; Space

XXXXXXXX9999 (Mixed case) Yes Yes

Date semester begins

Start_Date Date MM/DD/ YY

Date semester ends

End_Date Date DD-Mon-YY

Eghosa Ugboma Establishing the Worthiness of Information Systems Data through Information Engineering

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Information Engineering

Hoffer, Prescott, and McFadden define information engineering as “data-oriented methodology to create and maintain information systems.” They emphasize that within the context of information engineering, data are modeled to meet the needs of the enterprise, not by data usage

In his article, From Data Engineering to Information Enineering, Wiederhold (2004) writes that since information engineering focuses on “information”, dealing with the planning of information requires new engineering concepts if the data used to generate information is to retain its worthiness

Eghosa Ugboma Establishing the Worthiness of Information Systems Data through Information Engineering

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The fundamental function of information engineering is finding new ways for creating efficient information systems, including its components such as the database that stores the information system’s data, for improved performance

The fundamental roles of information systems are to generate reliable and dependable information

The second level of the planning phase of information engineering that conforms to the planning sheet focuses on planning, data modeling, and establishing data worthiness for data tables during the database design phase of information systems development

The planning phase of information engineering governs database rules and the authenticity of tables’ data

Conclusion