Group Project Assignment

The group project allows you to demonstrate that you have synthesized the materials covered
in the course. The group project is an opportunity for you to design, build, implement, and
document a working database system using Microsoft Access. The database system you
develop in the course should support a subset of the activities of an actual organization. Your
system could provide support to a department within a large business organization, a
recreational organization, a home-based business, etc. You are encouraged to create a
database system that might actually be used by someone (or perhaps enhanced and then used)
after you have completed the course. The system that you should implement should store data
for five to twelve entities.
Specific Project Requirements. Your project will begin with conceptual data modeling and
conclude with the implementation of a database using Microsoft Access. The four phases of
database development included in the project are (1) conceptual data modeling, (2) logical
database design, (3) physical database design, and (4) database implementation. This
document describes work included in each phase of the project.
1. Conceptual data modeling.

 Describe the organization or function that will use your database system.
 Summarize the information requirements of the function to be supported by your
database. (See Attachment A for help with determining information requirements.)
 Create an entity-relationship diagram (enhanced with supertypes/subtypes as
appropriate) showing the conceptual data model for your system.

2. Logical database design.

 Create a set of normalized relations for your database.

 Identify the primary key and any foreign keys for each relation.

3. Physical database design.

 Determine the appropriate data type for each field in your database.
 Determine data integrity controls for the fields in your database (e.g., default values,
range controls, and null value controls).
 Identify any referential integrity constraints needed to guarantee the integrity of
your database.
 Identify all indexes needed for your database. Present the justification for your
decisions about what indexes are needed.
 Consider whether you should denormalize some of your relations in order to reduce
the time needed to retrieve data from your database. Present the justification for
 your denormalization decision. If you decide to denormalize some of your relations,
present a new set of (partially) denormalized relations for your database.

4. Database implementation.
Implement the database using Microsoft Access.

 Define your database using Microsoft Access.

(1) Create the tables needed to implement your database. (Note: Do not enter any data into
your tables until you have completed the next step.)
(2) Define data types, primary keys, indexes, data integrity constraints, and referential integrity
constraints.

 Develop a set of test data to test your data integrity and referential integrity
constraints. Your test data should consist of data that you expect to fail because of
the enforcement of your data integrity and referential integrity constraints. Enter
your test data and verify that your constraints work.
 Add sample data that do not violate your constraints to the database tables. These
data will be used to demonstrate that the database works.
 Design and implement two forms to input data to your database. You may keep
these very simple. (Note: You might need more forms to complete your database
system, but you do not have to create them for this assignment.)
 Design and execute five queries to retrieve data from your database. You may keep
these very simple.

 Design and implement five reports to display the results of your queries. You may
keep these very simple. (Note: You might need more reports to complete your
database system, but you do not have to create them for this assignment.)

Project Deliverables. You will document your work by submitting three items (a Microsoft
Access file, a written paper, and a set of peer reviews) and by creating a presentation of your
work. Further details are given below.
1. Microsoft Access File. You will submit your Microsoft Access database file.
2. Written Paper. Your project paper should include (at minimum) the items listed below. You
may present some of this information in appendices to your paper. Use your judgment about
what should be in the body of the paper and what should be in appendices.
Your paper should provide an interesting description of what you have done and why. Be sure
to organize your paper in a way that meets this objective. Your paper should answer any
questions the reader may have about your rationale for the decisions you made when
designing and implementing your database.
It is probably not a good idea to simply include each of the items listed here in the order
given. Give some thought about how to best structure your paper. You will also probably want
to include transitions to tie all of this together. For example, you might discuss how decisions
you made during the logical design of your system constrained your physical design. You
should also include material on the relationships between the components of your paper (e.g.,
how is what your learned during information requirements reflected in your entity-relationship
diagram).
Minimum requirements for the paper:

 A description of the organization for which your database was built.

 A detailed description of the information requirements for the organization to be
supported by your database.
 An entity-relationship diagram showing the conceptual data model for your system.
 The set of normalized relations for your database.
 A table showing the data type for each field in your database.
 A discussion of the purpose of the data integrity controls used in your database.
 A discussion of all indexes created in your database along with the rationale for
creating the indexes.
 A discussion of your decision to denormalize or not denormalize your database
tables. If you decide to denormalize some of your relations, include your new set of
(partially) denormalized relations for your database.
 A list of your test data along with a description of the purpose of each piece of test
data.
 A description of the purpose of each of your queries.

3. Presentation. The presentation should highlight those aspects of the system likely to be of
greatest interest to other members of the class.
4. Peer Reviews. Each member of the group will write a peer review paper in which he or she
describes and evaluates the contribution of each member of the project group.
Group Project Assignment -
Attachment A (Information
Requirements Determination)
Information requirements determination is the process of determining what data should be
stored in your database system. It is through information requirements determination that you
learn about the relevant entities, relationships, and attributes included in your system.
If your group is implementing a database system for an organization or function with which you
are very familiar, the information requirements task may be fairly straight forward. Even so,
you should consider the interview techniques discussed here as you define the entities,
relationships, and attributes of your system.
If your group is implementing a database system to support a department within a large
business organization, a student organization on campus, or a recreational organization you will
probably have to interview a few people to investigate the requirements of your system.
It is usually not very effective to simply ask someone, "What information do you need from the
new system?" It is much more effective to follow a proven methodology for determining
information requirements. There are three major methodologies for information requirements
determination: business systems planning, critical success factors, and ends/means
analysis. Each methodology suggests a set of questions that an analyst can ask a potential user
of an information system. Research shows that the quality of implemented systems is highest
when analysts ask questions based on at least two (or preferably three) of these
methodologies. The questions associated with each methodology are presented below. Please
note that you should use these questions as the basis for planning any interviews that you do as
part of this project. You should probably not simply walk into an interview and start asking
these questions.
Business Systems Planning (BSP).
What are the major problems encountered in accomplishing the purposes of the organizational
unit you manage (or work in)?
What are good solutions to these problems?
How can information play a role in any of these solutions?
What are the major decisions associated with your responsibilities?
What improvements in information could result in better decisions?
Critical Success Factors (CSF).
What factors are critical to the success of the organizational unit you manage (or work in)?
What information do you need to ensure that these factors are under control?
Ends/means Analysis.
What is the end or good or service provided by your organization?
What makes these goods or services effective to recipients or customers?
What information is needed to evaluate that effectiveness?
What are the key means or resources or processes used to provide goods or services?
What constitutes efficiency in the providing of these goods or services?
What information is needed to evaluate that efficiency?