Academic Information System (AiS) - Database Design and Implementation

Part 1: Database Design for Academic Information System (AiS)

This assessment is based on the scenario ‘Academic Information System (AiS)” of a fictitious university called University of Gharnata. The university wants to develop an information system to support its academic activities.

This part is based on the ‘AiS’ scenario as described.

(A) Using a database design approach of your choice, produce a logical design for the database to support the information system, which is needed at the University of Gharnata.

Your answer must consist of ONE of the following:

1. An entity-relationship (ER) diagram (20 marks) and its mapping into a set of relations (10 marks). The ER diagram should show all relevant entity types, relationship types, attributes, primary keys, and structural constraints. Note that not all keys are identified/mentioned in the scenario, so you are required to identify/devise appropriate primary keys for all the entity types. Your ER diagram must not show/include any foreign keys or any such attributes that represent foreign keys as these are logical and not conceptual concepts. As part of the mapping process, for each relation, you should identify appropriate primary keys as well as foreign keys (if applicable). Furthermore, you need to make sure your relations obtained from mapping your ER diagram are in the 3rd normal form.

2. A set of normalised relations (10 marks) obtained through normalisation process (20 marks) instead of ER modelling. You should make clear how the normalisation process has been carried out, and the reasoning employed, in particular quoting/providing evidence (series of steps) to support the decisions made and how your relations have been derived. Each relation in your answer should be in the 3rd normal form.

(B) Based on your logical design from Part 1 (A) and the information available in the scenario, produce an SQL script file using Oracle 11g/12c.  

This part is based on your answer / solution to Part 1, i.e., design and implementation of the database for the ‘AiS’ scenario.

(A) Populate the database with some data (e.g., data similar to the courses and modules you study, and other relevant information within Northumbria University).

(B) Answer the following queries (retrievals) using SQL and relational algebra

1)Display names of students, details of the course they study, details of the module they have studied and their marks for all postgraduate students.

2)Display details of all people of ‘AiS’ (students and academic staff), e.g., their names, their home addresses and name of the department where they work or study.

(A) Consider the ‘AiS’ scenario in the Appendix. Produce a report for the Rector of the University of Gharnata elaborating on professional, legal, ethical and security issues that need to be considered and make recommendations that you think are appropriate for ‘AiS’.

The report should be concise and comprehensive and in the region of 800-900 words. You should use Harvard style of citation and referencing by following the guidelines in Pears and Shields (2008).

(B)Compare and contrast different approaches to database design (e.g., entity relationship modelling, normalisation, etc.) and briefly justify the approach you have used for answering Part 1 (A).