Information Science & Technology
Annotation Database

Description of Situation

For several years, the Information Science and Technology Annotation Database has been stored on 8 1/2" by 11" paper in a three-ring binder labeled "LSC 508 - Annotations." The department has decided to update the database to electronic format; they expect that this change will allow the students of the University of Rhode Island easier access to the valuable information collected over the past 5 years. The database will consist of annotations pertaining to Information Science and Technology and are compiled by the students taking the course LSC 508. They will continue to be kept in a three-ring binder. The binder will be divided into four sections and the annotations will be sorted according to: record number, author, article title, and journal title.

Original Form

The original form is an 8 1/2" by 11" paper that follows the APA style for citing articles. The paper is typed, hole-punched, and later placed in the binder alphabetically by authors' last name.

The format for the original form is as follows:
Author's last name and first initial, date of the publication, title of the article, journal name, volume number, issue number, and the page numbers of the article. This is followed by the annotation that must be fifty words or less.

New Form

The new form will remain on 8 1/2' x 11" paper containing the same information with the addition of a field titled "Record Number". The addition of "Record Number" allows one to keep track of how many records are contained within the database. The format for the new form is as follows:
Record number, author, publication date, article title, journal title, volume number, issue number, page numbers of the article, and the annotation.

Database Screen Design

The database was created using the Microsoft Access 2000 application. The screen design for the database contained the information from the original form and the new form in the same order. The database was designed by creating the table with fields in the "Design View". I then created a "form" for easy entry and viewing. After entering the data, a "report" was created using Wizard. This allows the creator to click on the fields and drag them to the desired location. I chose a vertical layout because I felt it was easier to view. My input requirements are as follows:

The System Requirements

A Compaq Presario Pentium 4 processor was used for this assignment. My performance status is as follows:

• Microsoft Windows XP
• Memory: 504 MB of RAM
• File System: NTFS
• Virtual Memory: 372MB
• Space: 70 GB total, 52.7 GB free

Security

The security system will have a password for the creator or person in charge of maintaining the database. Also, the students will have a different password so that they can add to the database, however they will not be able to make changes to the design or delete any of the design.