1st Level Reporting
(Relational Database - Simple Query)
A simple query is asking the question what happened? It
is relatively static and tells us only what has occurred.
It has no ability, by itself, of telling us what may happen or why. It
cannot influence our decisions. Examples of simple queries are surveys,
questionnaires, and simple accounting data.
Many reports that we think of today as “research” are
nothing more than simple queries.
The results obtain from a simple query gives us no
information in which to manage, UNLESS, that data is compared against some
other data.
2nd Level Reporting
(On Line Analytical Processing - OLAP)
OLAP provides that ability to make comparison and
provides for the ability to analysis what is happening and why. It provides
the ability to analysis data across multi-dimensions.
3rd Level Reporting
(Data Mining)
Data mining is the use of advanced statistical techniques
and modeling to tell us what may happen. Examples of answers that come from
data mining are what may happen if the trends continues, what are the
relationships between variables that cause this to happen, and what may happen
if we change the variables.
“Traditional Research” generally follows the
following procedures
Data mining, on the other hand, analysis data just to see
what comes up interesting. It gives us information even if we do not know what
questions to ask.
Example: vitamin B and prostate cancer
Requirements:
Important concepts:
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