Introduction to Database Design and Use

Beginners

This module is part of the Social Science Research Methods Centre training programme which is a shared platform for providing research students with a broad range of quantitative and qualitative research methods skills that are relevant across the social sciences.

This set of three classes will provide a basic introduction to database management and analysis, using Microsoft Access and a set of historical datasets. The workshops will introduce participants to the use of Access’s menus and tool bars, viewing and browsing data tables, the creation of quick forms formulating queries, developing queries using Boolean operators, performing simple statistical operations, linking tables and working with linked tables, querying multiple tables, and data transformation.

• Mphil and PhD students from participating departments taking the Social Science Research Methods Centre training programme as part of their research degree

• You must have a University Information Services (Computing) Desktop Services password (http://www.ucs.cam.ac.uk/linkpages/newcomers)

Number of sessions: 3

• Session 1: Introduction to designing a relational database
• Session 2: Creating tables and queries
• Session 3: Useful operations

• To learn to use Access menus;tool bars; viewing and browing tables
• To create quick forms; develop queries using Boolean operators
• To perform simple statistical operations

Presentations, demonstrations and practicals

• Three workbook assignments, completed in class.

• Hemingway, V. (1994). Using and Designing Databases for Academic Work: a Practical Guide. Newcastle
• Coppock, T.(ed.) (1999). Information Technology and Scholarship Applications in the Humanities and Social Sciences. Oxford

• To gain maximum benefits from the course it is important that students do not see this course in isolation from the other MPhil courses or research training they are taking.
• Responsibility lies with each student to consider the potential for their own research using methods common in fields of the social sciences that may seem remote. Ideally this task will be facilitated by integration of the SSRMC with discipline-specific courses in their departments and through reading and discussion.

Three sessions of three hours each.

3 sessions over one week (intensive).