From Lamprey to Lake Trout: Things to Consider in Database Planning

No matter how specific you think your database needs are, there is a list of generic questions that you need to have answers for, in order to plan a successful database and save yourself a lot of headaches during the development and execution phases. Whether developing a database to house brand new data or re-designing something in which to capture historic data, critical thinking and planning are vital. Modern database applications not only will house your data efficiently, but can also take care of many of the common data manipulations and calculations with ease, provided the structure of the schema has been thoroughly thought through. How will the data be collected? Who will be putting data into your database? What do you want to get out of it? What is database standardization and why is it important? Database planning and design will be discussed by illustrating common mistakes and scenarios in fisheries management and research, to aid in the planning of a fisheries database. Presented by a fisheries professional FOR fisheries professionals.