Chapter 04 — Key Terms and Definitions#

Database — A structured collection of data stored electronically, typically managed by a DBMS.

Database Management System (DBMS) — Software that manages databases and enables data creation, retrieval, and administration.

Structured Data — Information organized in predefined formats (e.g., tables, spreadsheets).

Unstructured Data — Data without predefined formats, such as emails, videos, or social media.

Data Warehouse — A centralized repository optimized for analytics and reporting.

Data Lake — A storage system holding raw data in its native format until needed.

ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) — The process of extracting data, cleaning and formatting it, and loading it into target systems.

Business Analytics — The use of statistical and computational methods to turn data into insights for decision-making.

Descriptive / Predictive / Prescriptive Analytics — Types of analytics that explain past performance, forecast future outcomes, and recommend actions.

Data Visualization — The use of charts, dashboards, and visual tools to communicate insights effectively.