essay on database

What Is a Database?

A database is a systematic way of storing information so data can be accessed, analyzed, transformed, updated and moved with efficiency.

A database is simply a structured and systematic way of storing information to be accessed, analyzed, transformed, updated and moved (to other databases). 

To begin understanding databases, consider an Excel notebook or Google sheet. Spreadsheets like these are a basic form of a table. Databases are almost exclusively organized in tables and those tables have rows and columns. So, think of a simple database as a collection of spreadsheets (or tables) joined together in a systematic way.

Database Definition

A database is a way for organizing information, so users can quickly navigate data, spot trends and perform other actions. Although databases may come in different formats, most are stored on computers for greater convenience.

Databases are stored on servers either on-premises at an organization’s office or off-premises at an organization’s data center (or even within their cloud infrastructure). Databases come in many formats in order to do different things with various types of data. 

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Why Do We Use Databases?

Computerized databases were first introduced to the world in the 1960s and have since become the foundation for products, analysis, business processes and more. Many of the services you use online every day (banking, social media, shopping, email) are all built on top of databases.

Today, databases are used for many reasons.

Databases Hold Data Efficiently

We use databases because they are an extremely efficient way of holding vast amounts of data and information. Databases around the world store everything from your credit card transactions to every click you make within one of your social media accounts. Given there are nearly eight billion people on the planet,  that’s a lot of data . 

Databases Allow Smooth Transactions

Databases allow access to various services which, in turn, allow you to access your accounts and perform transactions all across the internet. For example, your bank’s login page will ping a database to figure out if you’ve entered the right password and username. Your favorite online shop pings your credit card’s database to pull down the funds needed for you to buy that item you’ve been eyeing. 

Databases Update Information Quickly

Databases allow for easy information updates on a regular basis. Adding a video to your TikTok account, directly depositing your salary into your bank account or buying a plane ticket for your next vacation are all updates made to a database and displayed back to you almost instantaneously. 

Databases Simplify Data Analysis

Databases make research and data analysis much easier because they are highly structured storage areas of data and information. This means businesses and organizations can easily analyze databases once they know how a database is structured. Common structures (e.g. table formats, cell structures like date or currency fields) and common database querying languages (e.g.,  SQL ) make database analysis easy and efficient. 

What Is a Database Management System?

A database management system (DBMS) is a software package we use to create and manage databases. In other words, a DBMS makes it possible for users to actually interact with the database. In other words, the DBMS is the user interface (UI) that allows us to access, add, modify and delete content from the database. There are several types of database management systems, including relations, non-relational and hierarchical.

Evolution of Databases

Storing information is nothing new, but the rise of computers in the 1960s marked a shift toward more digital forms of databases. While working for GE, Charles Bachman created the Integrated Data Store, ushering in a new age of computerized databases. IBM soon followed suit with its Information Management System, a hierarchical database. 

In the 1970s, IBM’s Edgar F. Codd released a paper touting the benefits of relational databases, leading to IBM and the University of California, Berkeley releasing their own models. Relational databases became popular in the following years, with more businesses developing models and using Structured Query Language (SQL). Even though object-oriented databases became an alternative in the 1980s, relational databases remained the gold standard. 

The invention of the World Wide Web led to greater demand for databases in the 1990s. MySQL and NoSQL databases entered the scene, competing with the commercial databases developed by businesses. Object-oriented databases also began to replace relational databases in popularity.        

During the 2000s and 2010s, organizations began to collect larger volumes of data, and many turned to the scalability offered by NoSQL databases. Distributed databases provided another way to organize this proliferating data , storing it away in multiple locations.  

Types of Databases

There are many types of databases used today. Below are some of the more prominent ones.

1. Hierarchical Databases 

Hierarchical databases were the earliest form of databases. You can think of these databases like a simplified family tree. There’s a singular parent object (like a table) that has child objects (or tables) under it. A parent can have one or many child objects but a child object only has one parent. The benefit of these databases are that they’re incredibly fast and efficient plus there’s a clear, threaded relationship from one object to another. The downside to hierarchical databases is that they’re very rigid and highly structured. 

2. Relational Databases  

Relational databases are perhaps the most popular type of database. Relational databases are set up to connect their objects (like tables) to each other with keys. For example, there might be one table with user information (name, username, date of birth, customer number) and another table with purchase information (customer number, item purchased, price paid). In this example, the key that creates a relationship between the tables is the customer number. 

3. Non-Relational or NoSQL Databases  

Non-relational databases were invented more recently than relational databases and hierarchical databases in response to the growing complexity of web applications. Non-relational databases are any database that doesn’t use a relational model. You might also see them referred to as  NoSQL databases . Non-relational databases store data in different ways such as unstructured data, structured document format or as a graph. Relational databases are based on a rigid structure whereas non-relational databases are more flexible.

4. Cloud Databases

Cloud databases refer to information that’s accessible in a hybrid or cloud environment. All users need is an internet connection to reach their files and manipulate them like any other database. A convenience of cloud databases is that they don’t require extra hardware to create more storage space. Users can either build a cloud database themselves or pay for a service to get started.

5. Centralized Databases

Centralized databases are contained within a single computer or another physical system. Although users may access data through devices connected within a network, the database itself operates from one location. This approach may work best for larger companies or organizations that want to prioritize data security and efficiency.

6. Distributed Databases

Distributed databases run on more than one device. That can be as simple as operating several computers on the same site, or a network that connects to many devices. An advantage of this method is that if one computer goes down, the other computers and devices keep functioning.  

7. Object-Oriented Databases 

Object-oriented databases perceive data as objects and classes. Objects are specific data — like names and videos — while classes are groups of objects. Storing data as objects means users don’t have to distribute data across tables. This makes it easier to determine the relationships between variables and analyze the data. 

8. Graph Databases

Graph databases highlight the relationships between various data points. While users may have to do extra work to determine trends in other types of databases, graph databases store relationships right next to the data itself. Users can then immediately see how various data points are connected to each other.  

What Are the Components of a Database?

The components of a database vary slightly depending on whether the database is hierarchical, relational or non-relational. However, here’s a list of database components you might expect to be associated with any database.

The database schema is essentially the  design of the database . A schema is developed at the early conceptual stages of building a database. It’s also a valuable source of ongoing information for those wanting to understand the database’s design. 

Constraints and Rules

Databases use constraints to determine what types of tables can (and cannot) be stored and what types of data can live in the columns or rows of the database tables, for example. These constraints are important because they ensure data is structured, less corruptible by unsanctioned  data structures and that the database is regulated so users know what to expect. These constraints are also the reason why databases are considered rigid.

Metadata is essentially the data about the data. Each database or object has metadata, which the database software reads in order to understand what’s in the database. You can think of metadata as the database schema design and constraints combined together so a machine knows what kind of database it is and what actions can (or can’t) be performed within the database. 

Query Language

Each database can be queried. In this case, “queried” means people or services can access the database. That querying is done by way of a particular language or code snippet. The most common querying language is SQL (Structured Query Language) but there are also many other languages and even SQL variations like  MySQL , Presto and Hive.

Each database is a collection of objects. There are a few different types of objects stored within databases such as tables, views, indexes, sequences and synonyms. The most well known of these are tables, like spreadsheets, that store data in rows and columns. You may also hear the term “object instance,” which is simply an instance or element of an object. For example, a table called “Transactions” in a database is an instance of the object-type table.

Database Advantages

The structured nature of databases offers a range of benefits for professional and casual users alike. Below are some of the more prominent advantages:  

• Improved data sharing and handling
• Improved data storage capacity
• Improved data integrity and data security
• Reduced data inconsistency 
• Quick data access
• Increased productivity
• Improved data-driven decision making  

Database Disadvantages

Although databases can be helpful for many, there are some limitations to consider before investing in a database: 

• High complexity
• Required dedicated database management staff
• Risk of database failure​

Applications of Databases

When used correctly, databases can be a helpful tool for organizations in various industries looking to better arrange their information. Common use cases include:

• Healthcare: storing massive amounts of patient data .
• Logistics: monitoring and analyzing route information and delivery statuses.
• Insurance: storing customer data like addresses, policy details and driver history.
• Finance: handling account details, invoices, stock information and other assets.
• E-commerce: compiling and arranging data on products and customer behavior.
• Transportation: storing passengers’ names, scheduled flights and check-in status.
• Manufacturing: keeping track of machinery status and production goals.
• Marketing: collecting data on demographics, purchasing habits and website visits.
• Education: tracking student grades, course schedules and more.
• Human resources: organizing personnel info, benefits and tax information.

Future of Databases

As organizations handle increasing amounts of data, future databases must be able to keep up. Users will expect databases to be accessible across the globe and able to deal with limitless volumes of data. As a result, it’s likely that more companies will migrate their data to cloud environments. The percent of data stored in the cloud doubled between 2015 and 2022, and there’s reason to believe this percentage will only grow in the years to come. 

With the increase in data has also come a spike in cybersecurity threats , so organizations can be expected to complement their cloud environments with reinforced security measures . Databases will become more easily accessible only for authorized personnel while companies adopt tools and best practices for keeping their data out of the wrong hands.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a database and a spreadsheet.

Spreadsheets organize data into rows and columns, with each individual cell housing the actual data. Databases also employ rows and columns, but each cell contains a record of data gathered from an external table. As a result, databases provide more ways to arrange and structure information as opposed to spreadsheets.

What is the most commonly used database type?

The most commonly used database type is the relational database.

What is the definition of a database?

A database is highly organized information that is designed to be easily accessible and navigable for users. Most databases are stored on computers, making it possible to quickly analyze, transform and manipulate data in other ways.

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Essay on Database Management System

Introduction.

Database Management System is a type of software used in building and managing databases. The DBMS makes it easier for users to create, protect, read, update, and delete crucial information in the database (Pavlo et al., 2017). In addition, the Database Management System software helps users define, create, maintain, and control any access to their database systems. The DBMS allows users to interact with various application programs and retrieve information from various systems. This essay examines the development of a Database Management System by ABC Corporation for its business operation. It will also examine how its DBMS presents a centralized view of its data to ensure multiple users can access it.

Purpose of DBMS in ABC Corporation

The Database Management System will have a vital role in helping ABC Corporation create and manage its database for its business operations. The DBMS will aid the ABC Corporation in managing its vast amount of information. It will also provide the organization with an appropriate mechanism for manipulating its data. Additionally, the database system will help ABC Corporation promote the safety of its store information, despite system crashes or attempts to gain unauthorized access (Pavlo et al., 2017). Database Management has several collection programs that will enable ABC Corporation to create and maintain its database. The DBS software will provide the organization with various defining, developing, and modifying its database for multiple applications. In addition, the DBS shall provide ABC Corporation Company with automatic backup and recovery procedures for its database. The Database Management System will allow ABC Corporation to view its database from various perspectives based on various user requirements.

Benefits of Database Management System

Successful Implementation of database management system by ABC Corporation will provide the organization with multiple benefits, including the following;

Improves Data Transfer and sharing

Database Management system creates an appropriate avenue where users can have the added advantage of managing their data effectively. This will help make it possible for the end-users to have a quick look at their data and respond fast to any changes they identify. The Data Management System will enable ABC corporation to collect, replicate and transmit large amounts of its datasets from one business unit to another. Proper implementation of a database management system will enable the organization to access data easily and allow end-users to share information quickly and effectively across the organization (Zhang et al., 2017).

Effective data integration and quick solutions

Implementing DBMS will promote a complete and integrated picture of the operations of ABC Corporation. It becomes much easier for a person to observe how various processes in one company unit affect the other units. In addition, the management system will help the company make quick solutions to various database questions, thus making information more accessible and accurate (Zhang et al., 2017). By implementing DBMS, the ABC Corporation will be able to synchronize and manage all its forms of data and thus making it easy for the firm to handle its information and aid it in monitoring all its organizational processes. For example, the company’s end-users, like the salespeople, will have improved access to sales data, making huge sales of their products and better decision-making processes.

Enhanced data security

The data management system will provide ABC Corporation with a better framework for enforcing various data privacy and security policies. The database management system will help to promote better transparency and mitigate the risk of breaching various security policies (Zhang et al., 2017). As the number of users continues to share and transfer information online, the rate of data security also increases. It is, therefore, imperative for business organizations such as ABC corporations to invest their financial resources, time, and effort in promoting the security of their database management systems. The DBMS offers an effective platform for promoting data privacy and security policies, thus helping the organization protect its information systems.

Improve data consistency

Data inconsistency often occurs when a company has different versions of the same data. Having an effective data management system within an organization is very critical because it helps in ensuring that data is shared consistently throughout the organization (Zhang et al., 2017). The database Management system will help ABC corporation minimize inconsistencies in its data systems.

Effective decision making

With an effective Database Management System, the ABC Corporation will manage its data properly and enhance its data accessibility. This, in turn, will help the company generate quality information that will result in better and sound decision-making.

Components of Database Management System and its implementation process

The DMBS has several component including;

Software:  This consists of a set of programs such as operating systems and software networks that are critical in controlling and managing database management system.

Hardware:  This component comprises several physical, electronic devices such as computers, I/O devices, and other storage devices (Raza et al., 2018).

Data:  This is the main component of DMBS that helps organizations collect and manage information. It comprises the basic, operational and metadata elements.

Procedures:  This consists of instructions and rules that guide the organization using DMBS.

Database access language:  This is a vital component that helps business organizations to information to and from the database. It also allows user to enter new data, update existing information, and retrieve critical information from database .

The implementation process of DMBS

The implementation phase of a database management system within an organization involves installing DMBS on the appropriate hardware and optimizing the database is running the best software and hardware platforms, creating a database, and loading data (Raza et al., 2018). The following are key steps for implementing Database Management Systems in an organization;

• Installing the Database Management Systems.’
• Setting up various variables based on the hardware, software, and usage requirements.
• Creating databases and tables.
• Loading data in the DMBS.
• Setting up user and security requirements.’
• Implementing data backup systems.

Why business organizations deploy various systems in domestic and global business functions

Given the advancing technologies, the data world has evolved rapidly, thus creating a new dimension for growth, development, and challenges for business organizations across the globe. As a result, both domestic and global business organizations utilize various systems to help them in recording data, storing, updating and monitoring the flow of information within the company regularly (Zhang et al., 2017). In addition, database management systems enable organizations to make appropriate strategic decisions. This is because organizations can collect important information using the DMBS to achieve their organizational goals and objectives. Database Management Systems are crucial for domestic and global functions because they help manage important links. In addition, database management systems provide business organizations with handling multiple types of information. With database Management Systems, small and global business organizations can manage huge volumes of information such as employee records, accounting information, project management, and Inventory (Raza et al., 2018).In addition, with the database management system, multiple users can access organizational data systems at the same time in different ways.

In conclusion, DBMS software provides business organizations with a standard way of cataloging, retrieving, and running queries on their data systems. The database management system can manage all the incoming information, organize it, and provide users with better ways of modifying and extracting data or other crucial programs. Typically, the database management systems are specifically designed with multiple applications that allow them to interact with other users, programs, and databases to capture and analyze data.

Pavlo, A., Angulo, G., Arulraj, J., Lin, H., Lin, J., Ma, L., … & Zhang, T. (2017, January). Self-Driving Database Management Systems. In  CIDR  (Vol. 4, p. 1).

Raza, B., Kumar, Y. J., Malik, A. K., Anjum, A., & Faheem, M. (2018). Performance prediction and adaptation for database management system workload using Case-Based Reasoning approach.  Information Systems ,  76 , 46-58.

Zhang, M., Martin, P., Powley, W., & Chen, J. (2017). Workload management in database management systems: A taxonomy.  IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering ,  30 (7), 1386-1402.

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database , any collection of data, or information , that is specially organized for rapid search and retrieval by a computer . Databases are structured to facilitate the storage, retrieval, modification, and deletion of data in conjunction with various data-processing operations. A database management system (DBMS) extracts information from the database in response to queries.

A brief treatment of databases follows. For full treatment, see computer science: Information systems and databases ; information processing .

A database is stored as a file or a set of files. The information in these files may be broken down into records , each of which consists of one or more fields. Fields are the basic units of data storage, and each field typically contains information pertaining to one aspect or attribute of the entity described by the database. Records are also organized into tables that include information about relationships between its various fields. Although database is applied loosely to any collection of information in computer files, a database in the strict sense provides cross-referencing capabilities. Using keywords and various sorting commands, users can rapidly search, rearrange, group, and select the fields in many records to retrieve or create reports on particular aggregates of data.

Database records and files must be organized to allow retrieval of the information. Queries are the main way users retrieve database information. The power of a DBMS comes from its ability to define new relationships from the basic ones given by the tables and to use them to get responses to queries. Typically, the user provides a string of characters, and the computer searches the database for a corresponding sequence and provides the source materials in which those characters appear; a user can request, for example, all records in which the contents of the field for a person’s last name is the word Smith .

The many users of a large database must be able to manipulate the information within it quickly at any given time. Moreover, large business and other organizations tend to build up many independent files containing related and even overlapping data, and their data-processing activities often require the linking of data from several files. Several different types of DBMS have been developed to support these requirements: flat, hierarchical, network, relational, and object-oriented.

Early systems were arranged sequentially (i.e., alphabetically, numerically, or chronologically); the development of direct-access storage devices made possible random access to data via indexes. In flat databases, records are organized according to a simple list of entities; many simple databases for personal computers are flat in structure. The records in hierarchical databases are organized in a treelike structure, with each level of records branching off into a set of smaller categories. Unlike hierarchical databases, which provide single links between sets of records at different levels, network databases create multiple linkages between sets by placing links, or pointers, to one set of records in another; the speed and versatility of network databases have led to their wide use within businesses and in e-commerce . Relational databases are used where associations between files or records cannot be expressed by links; a simple flat list becomes one row of a table, or “relation,” and multiple relations can be mathematically associated to yield desired information. Various iterations of SQL (Structured Query Language) are widely employed in DBMS for relational databases. Object-oriented databases store and manipulate more complex data structures, called “objects,” which are organized into hierarchical classes that may inherit properties from classes higher in the chain; this database structure is the most flexible and adaptable.

The information in many databases consists of natural-language texts of documents; number-oriented databases primarily contain information such as statistics, tables, financial data, and raw scientific and technical data. Small databases can be maintained on personal-computer systems and used by individuals at home. These and larger databases have become increasingly important in business life, in part because they are now commonly designed to be integrated with other office software, including spreadsheet programs.

Typical commercial database applications include airline reservations, production management functions, medical records in hospitals, and legal records of insurance companies. The largest databases are usually maintained by governmental agencies, business organizations, and universities. These databases may contain texts of such materials as abstracts, reports, legal statutes, wire services, newspapers and journals, encyclopaedias, and catalogs of various kinds. Reference databases contain bibliographies or indexes that serve as guides to the location of information in books, periodicals, and other published literature. Thousands of these publicly accessible databases now exist, covering topics ranging from law, medicine, and engineering to news and current events, games, classified advertisements, and instructional courses.

Increasingly, formerly separate databases are being combined electronically into larger collections known as data warehouses . Businesses and government agencies then employ “ data mining ” software to analyze multiple aspects of the data for various patterns. For example, a government agency might flag for human investigation a company or individual that purchased a suspicious quantity of certain equipment or materials, even though the purchases were spread around the country or through various subsidiaries.

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Topic: Design , Relationships , Model , Windows , Usability , Information , Data Analysis , Microsoft

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Published: 03/29/2020

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A database or a databank is an application where data can be stored and retrieved quickly. It is also important to know how the data is stored and organized in a database. Database mainly refers to a relational database, indeed a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS). Collection of data items that are structured as a group of officially defined tables from which data can be retrieved in various ways without having to restructure the database tables is known as Relational Database. In relational database, the complete data is stored in tables. The structure of these tables is similar to the spreadsheet, and the tables are related to each other using the one-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-many relationships. As stated by Harrington (2009), in mathematical set theory, a relation is the definition of a table with columns (attributes), and rows (tuples), and the word table is used synonymously with relation in a relational data model. The major benefit of RDBMS is that it establishes and uses the relationships naturally and easily. Relational database is needed because it is easy to maintain, and access. It is easy to install and provides a very flexible reporting facility. In an organization, relational database is required in terms of disaster recovery. Many mobile phone companies and banks use relational databases to store customer contacts. Another advantage of RDBMS is to provide quick results while comparing information, as the data arrangement is achieved through the columns in the table. One of the principal objectives of relational database is to ensure each item of data is held once within the database (Ritchie, 2002). A few familiar applications that support the relational model are, SQL Server from Microsoft, MySQL, Oracle Database from Oracle Corporation, and the open-source database system, Postgres. A good database designer can design a good relational database without a glitch and apply it on any product that does not require a relational database. Database developers design databases that are flexible in organizing and handling data, while guaranteeing the precision of data all through the database, and this process is known as Normalization. Normalization can be approached either by an ER diagram, or by using theoretical concepts behind good design to create the relations (Harrington, 2009). Data redundancy in a database is decreased through Normalization. Normalization is a multi-stage process that uses a fundamental concept, and the result of each of these stages is called the normal form; successive stages produce greater degree of Normalization (Ritchie, 2002). A database can be normalized to a certain level and Normal forms help in measuring them. There are seven normal forms and the most common normal forms are the First Normal Form (1NF), Second Normal Form (2NF), and Third Normal Form (3NF). Goals of Normalization are to arrange data into coherent groups and ensure every group has some function to perform, minimize duplicate data (ensuring data is atomic), and maintain data integrity in storage. Data normalization is needed in areas where transactions are rapid, and where the data modifications such as insert, delete, and update functions happen quickly all through the stored data. As stated by Harrington (2009), the capability of handling a base relation or a derived relation as a single operand applies not only to the data retrieval but also to the insertion, update and deletion of data. As the process of Normalization involves removing problems in a relation by disintegrating it into separate relations, the motive of decomposition should not result in loss of information, and may require additional information to be provided while building new tables. A database is said to be normal form when all the tables in the database are in normal form. If a relational database is in 3NF, then it is considered to be normalized as the tables in 3NF are free of irregularities such as insert, update and delete. The logical database design is the arrangement of data and relations between portions of information that are not similar. The implementation of these relations and structures is unknown. There is no information about how these structures and relations are implemented. The logical data model is a universal relational representation in the normal forms that substitutes many-to-many relationships with inter-related entities, and defines a complete population of entities. In physical database design the logical data model is converted into SQL statements that describe the database. It is a very easy process to convert a logical data model to physical database in relational database system. A physical database design displays the structure of the table that includes column name, data type, constraints, primary and foreign key, and association between tables; however, the logical database design defines the data in depth without considering its physical implementation in the database. The most commonly used language for interacting with RDBMS is SQL that has been accepted throughout the world as a standard manipulation language (Harrington, 2009). SQL users need not worry about the procedure of achieving a task. SQL users must only identify what should be done to achieve the task. SQL is considered to be user friendly and allows users to retrieve data easily. Individual relational database systems use slightly different dialects of SQL syntax and naming rules; hence SQL is considered to be user friendly as it allows the users to recover data and create important data with slight effort (Teorey, Lightstone, Nadeau, and Jagadish 2010). Common RDMBS that use SQL are Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, Ingres, Oracle, and Microsoft Access. Through SQL the user can specify logical criterion that identifies rows to be affected, and then tells DBMS to find the rows for you (Harrington, 2009). SQL also provides tractability to users by assisting shared (running databases on many computers in network) databases at the same time.

Harrington, Jan L. (2009). Relational Database Design and Implementation: Clearly Explained. 3rd ed, Revised. Morgan Kaufmann. Print. Ritchie, Colin. (2002). Relational Database Principles. Illustrated. Cengage Learning EMEA. Print. Teorey, Toby J. Lightstone, Sam S. Nadeau, Tom. Jagadish, H.V., (2010). Database Modeling and Design: Logical Design, 4th Ed, Academic Press. Print.

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Database Search

What is Database Search?

Harvard Library licenses hundreds of online databases, giving you access to academic and news articles, books, journals, primary sources, streaming media, and much more.

The contents of these databases are only partially included in HOLLIS. To make sure you're really seeing everything, you need to search in multiple places. Use Database Search to identify and connect to the best databases for your topic.

In addition to digital content, you will find specialized search engines used in specific scholarly domains.

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Home — Essay Samples — Information Science and Technology — Data Mining — The Importance of Databases in Managing and Organizing Information

The Importance of Databases in Managing and Organizing Information

• Categories: Data Mining

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Published: Feb 7, 2024

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The role of databases in business, databases in healthcare, databases in education, challenges and future trends in databases.

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What Is a Relational Database?

Last updated: August 4, 2024

• Core Concepts

1. Overview

Databases have played a fundamental role in software development in recent decades. Their main purpose is to describe a real-world model for which we want to save data for different purposes. Therefore, they are crucial to data modeling and durable and consistent storage.

In this tutorial, we’ll look at relational databases, their core concepts, main advantages, and comparisons with other database types.

2. A Short History

Edgar F. Codd conceptualized relational databases in the 1970s by issuing the paper A Relational Model of Data for Large Shared Data Banks . IBM used this work to create System R , a prototype of a relational database featuring the first SQL.

The relational model replaced the hierarchical model used in IBM’s first commercial database. In contrast, a relational database introduces the theory of tables, relations, data normalization, and the definition of a Schema .

In 1979, Oracle released the first relational database management system (RDBMS) using SQL.

Although NoSql (non-relational databases) has grown to offer better performance in recent years, RDBMS is still popular in application development and is widely used by many software applications.

Let’s look at some basic concepts of a relational database and the logic of representing the data.

3. Table, Columns and Rows

Let’s look at the main actors in the relational model:

• Tables are data collection representing the entities of our particular data model. They consist of columns and rows. A table commonly has a unique identifier, which we can call an id .
• Columns that describe the attributes of an entity.
• Rows that are specific entries or records for an entity.

Let’s say we want to represent a bookshop where our main entity is a Book with a title and an author . We can picture this by showing a Book both as an entity and a table:

Describing the real world’s entities is difficult; tables can have many attributes and complex relations. Let’s see how we can use normalization forms to create a model of our data.

4. Normalization

In relation databases, we use normalization to shape relations and ensure data integrity . There are many types of normalization. Let’s see how we can apply it in our book example.

4.1. Normalization Example

For instance, let’s say a book has more than one author. In that case, we should rethink our table as follows:

The first normalization form is to avoid duplication and redundancy of data . Let’s see how we can optimize the model:

Nonetheless, we are now repeating some information. For example, the books with  id1  and  id3 now have two entries.

We can further optimize by using the next normalization steps and logically separating the book and author entities:

In this case, we create a many-to-many relationship between the Book and the Author using an intermediate table. We looked at a simple example to demonstrate how normalization works. Nonetheless, other possible normalization forms could exist given a model’s cardinality .

We can use tools to design a relational model. For example, we might consider UML .

4.2. Benefit of Normalization

Let’s see the main benefit of applying normalization:

• Minimized Data Redundancy: By organizing data into separate tables and eliminating redundancy, we significantly reduce data duplication and the risk of anomalies during data operations.
• Improve Data Integrity and Consistency: By structuring data logically, we prevent insertion, update, and deletion anomalies, ensuring consistent and accurate data operations.
• Enhanced Query Performance: Given a clear schema and relations, a database engine has efficient data retrieval strategies using access plans.

Normalization is the first step to properly define a database schema, its relations, and the constraints we want to apply to our data.

5. Keys and Constraints

As we have seen with normalization, we apply many rules to our model. A database achieves this with keys and constraints to ensure the data’s integrity, accuracy, and reliability.

Let’s look at the most common keys:

• Primary key (PK) describes what attribute uniquely identifies an entity. It can be a single or multiple attribute (composite key). A PK is sometimes a sequence or an incremental value. Tables might also use alternate or super keys to extend the uniqueness of a PK to multiple identifiers.
• Foreign key (FK) describes the relationship between a table and another table. A FK is a column or a set of columns in one table referring to a key or a constraint in another. It establishes a relationship between the two tables, enforcing referential integrity.

Likewise, let’s look at the most common constraints:

• Unique ensures that all values in a column are different
• Not null ensures that a column cannot have null values
• Default assigns a default to a column if it has no specific value during an insert operation
• Index improves the performance of database queries on the specified columns

Notably, a key is a constraint, but a constraint is not necessarily a key. For example, a PK is also a not null and unique constraint. A unique constraint can apply to a column that is not a PK but for which we want unique values (for instance, an email for a user table).

Nonetheless, choosing the appropriate keys and indexing for a table might be crucial to accessing data in constant time and scaling the database when volumes increase.

The data, such as table info and indexes, is usually saved in a tablespace .

6. Transactionality and the ACID Principles

We can access data in an RDBMS using a client that opens and closes transactions while performing CRUD operations . A database can process millions of transactions simultaneously, and multiple transactions could potentially access the same records concurrently.

The ACID principles are a set of properties that ensure a reliable processing of transactions. These properties guarantee data integrity, even in cases of system failures or concurrent access.

The Atomicity and Isolation properties are significant for transactionality, making a relational database the best choice for concurrent processing.

We have seen Consistency when defining constraints in our normalization process.

Finally, the Durability part is vital for security and backup in case of system failures.

SQL is a programming language used for managing and manipulating relational databases. It provides a systematic way to create, retrieve, update, and delete data within a database.

It is the way to interact with a database at different levels, for example:

• DDL (Data Definition Language ) uses Create , Drop, or Alter commands to define and manage the structure of database objects such as tables, indexes, and schemas.
• DML (Data Manipulation Language) with Select , Insert , Update, or Delete commands to retrieve and modify data within the database.

For example, let’s look at a more extended bookstore example with DDL to create our tables:

We can then insert some sample data into the tables:

Let’s also see a SELECT statement we can use to get the author(s) of a specific book:

SQL can vary by database type. However, it follows ISO standards and most commands are portable between databases.

Notably, most RDBMSs also have a procedural form of SQL, such as functions or store procedures, which are precompiled blocks of reusable code used to group SQL logic. For example, we can look at PL/SQL for Oracle.

8. Advantages of Relational Databases

Let’s look at some key advantages of a relational database:

RDBMS offers scalability using indexing and table partitioning and fast access to the data with optimized queries. Databases using replicas, such as master-slave installations, are common.

We have authentication, authorization, and integration with external systems for security. We also have data encryption, auditing, backup, and recovery strategies.

9. NoSQL Databases and Relational Databases Limitations

Relational databases have limitations we can understand if we compare them with NoSQL types.

9.1. RDBMS vs. NoSQL Database

NoSQL Databases offer a more flexible approach to data storage, often without a fixed schema, making them more adaptable to changes a data model might have. They can handle unstructured or semi-structured data and optimization for specific types of operations.

They can scale horizontally using shards across distributed systems and for high-volume read and write operations, making them ideal for handling large-scale data efficiently.

Although also available in RDBMS, sharding is more challenging due to the complex table relationships we might have.

However, NoSQL data consistency is less reliable due to more relaxed ACID principles.

9.2. Future of DBMS: NewSQL Databases

NewSQL databases are a modern category of databases that aim to combine the best features of traditional relational databases with the scalability of NoSQL databases.

They are relatively new and may lack the maturity and ecosystem support of established RDBMS or NoSQL solutions.

Nonetheless, they provide NoSQL systems’ scalability and performance benefits while maintaining traditional relational databases’ ACID properties and SQL support.

10. Popular Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMS)

Let’s quickly look at the most common relational databases in use today:

• MySQL is an open-source RDBMS developed by Oracle Corporation. It is one of the most popular databases used worldwide due to its robustness, reliability, and ease of use. We can also look at MariaDB as a MySQL fork.
• PostgreSQL is an open-source RDBMS known for its advanced features and extensibility. It is known for its compliance with SQL standards and great support for complex queries, text search, JSON data type, and geospatial (GIS) data.
• Microsoft SQL Server is a relational database developed by Microsoft and primarily used in enterprise environments.
• Oracle Database is a leading RDBMS known for its high performance and reliability. It is popular in large enterprises and complex applications.

Notably, most cloud providers, such as AWS, Azure, or GCP, offer cloud instances of these databases, such as RDS for MySQL in AWS.

11. Conclusion

In this article, we saw how a relational database works and its main components. It has tables, constraints, relations, normalization forms for data modeling, transactionality, and the ACID principles. We also compared it with the NoSQL database while outlining the main limitations of RDBMS. Finally, we saw how NewSQL databases could combine the best features of SQL and NoSQL databases in the future.

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What Is a Database? Essay Example

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This tutorial video introduces the concept of a database, which is essentially an organized collection of data. Databases could be used for many different purposes in many different industries. In the modern setting, databases refer to software programs that are able to collect and sort data from indicated sources. This information is then stored for later use in a manner that allows this information to be accessible by individuals either locally or internationally. Databases allow for collaborative projects due to the creation of software extensions that allow the information to be shared and viewed more readily than alternatives, such as Excel spreadsheets.

One of the better known database systems is called the Microsoft SQL (Structured Query Language) Server, and main purpose is to store information from other applications that are running on a network. As a consequence, these applications are utilized to store a wealth of data from a variety of different processes and are ideally used in large office settings. The query languages used for this type of system include T-SQL and ANSI SQL. There are many versions of the database software available, and different versions are generally utilized depending upon the needs of the organizations that employ them.

Understanding Database Tables and Records

In databases, the tables are the components of the systems that are used to physically store the data once it is collected. Individuals who wish to retrieve this data for use can scan through these tables using search queries to find the information they desire. While this can also be done manually, databases that are used for the purpose of storing and sorting through a wealth of information are not useful when sorted manually. Therefore, these queries can be used to provide specific information requests and data could then be collected on this basis. A data table is set up similarly to an Excel spreadsheet, with vertical columns and horizontal rows. Each column or row will allow the information to be sorted according to its commonalities. The cell, which meets at the point where the vertical column and horizontal rows intersect, contains the potential data of interest. While tables typically have a specific number of columns, it can have any amount of rows, which is indicative of the amount of data that is stored. Rows are classified according to one or more values and value constraints exist within the contents of particular columns.

Tables can be considered to be a representation of a data relationship. However, relationships can only be determined accurately if the information is sorted using the “order by” and select clauses. Otherwise, there is no guarantee that the information will be sorted according to their relationships. Therefore, care must be taken when examining the data to ensure that relationships are not assumed depending on how the information is sorted. Any relationship or correlation should be determined only in a manner that causes related data to remain together in either column or row form.

More about Column Data Types and Other Properties

Each column in the database is required to have a data name in addition to a data type. There are many general data types in SQL. Some of these types are summarized in the following table:

The commands help the user ultimately distinguish between qualitative and quantitative data so that they may gain a better understanding of the data with relation to its type. It is important for these commands to be used properly to ensure that any relevant data analysis produces meaningful results.

Designing Relational Database Tables

  Relational database tables are designed by creating a set of tuples are records that are present in the data rows. In order for this to be done, it is necessary to determine which categories the data should fall into in addition to how this information should be sorted properly. These relationships must take logical forms in order to be meaningful. In a one to one design pattern, two pieces of information could be related to one another but relationships with greater than this association cannot be determined. Primary keys are used to define such relationships, which allows the user to have a more accurate understanding of the meaning of the information presented before him or her. A one to many relationship could also be created using the database system by allowing the PK to migrate to another table to become a foreign key. This is valuable because it expands the utility of the data gathered on these information systems, allowing it to be used practically.

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General Library Research Tutorial: Module 4: Searching a Database

• Module 1: Library Orientation
• Module 2: Developing a Topic
• Module 3: Understanding Source Types
• Module 4: Searching a Database
• Module 5: Evaluating Sources
• Module 6: Citing Sources

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Learning Objectives

• Define the term research database.
• Differentiate between a subject and keyword search.
• Build a search using Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT).
• Understand how to use truncation, nesting, phrase searching, and field-specific searching.

What is a Research Database?

A database is a searchable collection of information. Most  research databases are searchable collections of journal, magazine, and newspaper articles. Each database contains thousands of articles published in many different journals, allowing you find relevant articles faster than you would by searching individual journals.

Some databases provide the full text of articles. Others provide abstracts , or summaries, only.

Searching a Library database is different from searching the Internet.

Selecting a Database

Selecting the best research databases for your topic is an important step. You need to locate databases that cover your topic within the date range you need.

Find all of our databases on the Academic Databases page (from the Library website, click "Databases" in the menu bar). Use the "Subjects" dropdown menu to select your discipline. Skim through the list of databases to learn:

• Subjects covered
• Types of publications covered (e.g., journal articles, books, etc.)
• Dates covered

Keyword Searching

Keyword searches are similar to Google searches in that the database looks for your search terms wherever they may be on a page. Keyword searches search all available fields (e.g., Title, Author, Abstract, etc.) for the keyword.

In the example record below, you can see the keywords "video games" and "aggressive behavior" in bold in every field where they appear, including the Title, Subject Terms, and Abstract fields.

Subject Searching

Unlike keyword searches, subject searches only return results that include your search term in the subject headings field.

Many databases use a controlled vocabulary , which is a list of standardized subject headings used to index content. You can usually find the database's controlled vocabulary in a section called subject terms or the thesaurus . Use this tool to determine which word or phrase is the one used by the database for a specific concept. For example, since "adolescents" and "teenagers" mean roughly the same thing, a database may choose to index all articles on this topic under "teenagers." That way, a subject search for "teenagers" will also return articles about "adolescents."

In the database Academic Search Complete, we clicked "Subject Terms" in the blue menu bar. We then browsed for the term "adolescents." The search revealed that the preferred term in this database is "TEENAGERS."

Keyword vs. Subject Searching

Databases have different interfaces and use different subject terms, but most provide both keyword and subject searching. Let's take a closer look at the differences between these two search options.

Watch the video below to learn more.

Source: Wayne State University Libraries Instruction. “ Keyword vs. Subject Searching .” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 9 January 2014. Web. 12 May 2017.

Phrase Searching

Place quotation marks around a phrase to search for that exact phrase. Most databases support phrase searching .

Example: A search for "United Nations" (with the quotation marks) will return only results where the two words appear together as a phrase.

For a quick demo, watch the video below.

Source: "Tips and Tricks: Phrase Searching" by North Carolina State University Libraries, licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US License .

Boolean Operators

When you want to combine search terms, you will need to use the Boolean operators , or connectors. This is best done using the advanced search mode. There are three main Boolean operators: AND, OR, and NOT.

Use AND to retrieve articles that mention  both terms  somewhere in the article. The use of AND generally will retrieve fewer but more focused results .

Example: Childhood obesity AND exercise

Use OR  between two terms to retrieve articles that mention  either term . The use of OR generally will retrieve a  larger set of results . The OR operator is useful when searching with terms that are synonyms or convey the same concept.

Example: Cloning OR genetics OR reproduction

Use NOT to exclude terms . The use of NOT allows you to remove search results containing a specific term. The use of NOT generally will retrieve fewer but more relevant results .

Example: Eating disorders NOT anorexia

Effective use of Boolean operators is essential to sophisticated research. Watch the video below to learn more about Boolean searching.

Source: fuliboutreach. “ Boolean Operators .” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 30 September 2012. Web. 4 May 2017.

Field Specific Searching

A good technique for focusing a database search is to limit your search to a specific field. Do a field-specific search when you are looking for:

• articles in a particular journal
• items published in a particular year or years
• particular keywords in the title
• items written in English only

Example: Search for "Eating Disorders" as a keyword; search for "Gupta" in the Author field; search "Secondary Eating Disorder" in the Title field.

Truncation is a search technique that allows you to search for all variants of a root word at the same time. Enter the root word followed by the truncation symbol. Many databases use the asterisk (*)  for truncation. Others use the question mark (?). Check the Help page for the database you're using to determine which symbol to use for truncation.

Example: The search term plagiar* will return results that include terms:

• plagiarizing
• plagiarized
• plagiarizer
• plagiarizers

Broadening Your Search

Keep in mind that if you're looking for an all-in-one source that addresses your topic perfectly, you might need to change your approach. Watch this short video to learn what to do when you can't find enough resources on your topic.

Source: “One Perfect Source?” by North Carolina State University Libraries, licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US License .

Module 4 Quiz

• << Previous: Module 3: Understanding Source Types
• Next: Module 5: Evaluating Sources >>
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The top list of academic research databases

2. Web of Science

5. ieee xplore, 6. sciencedirect, 7. directory of open access journals (doaj), get the most out of your academic research database, frequently asked questions about academic research databases, related articles.

Whether you are writing a thesis , dissertation, or research paper it is a key task to survey prior literature and research findings. More likely than not, you will be looking for trusted resources, most likely peer-reviewed research articles.

Academic research databases make it easy to locate the literature you are looking for. We have compiled the top list of trusted academic resources to help you get started with your research:

Scopus is one of the two big commercial, bibliographic databases that cover scholarly literature from almost any discipline. Besides searching for research articles, Scopus also provides academic journal rankings, author profiles, and an h-index calculator .

• Coverage: 90.6 million core records
• References: N/A
• Discipline: Multidisciplinary
• Access options: Limited free preview, full access by institutional subscription only
• Provider: Elsevier

Web of Science also known as Web of Knowledge is the second big bibliographic database. Usually, academic institutions provide either access to Web of Science or Scopus on their campus network for free.

• Coverage: approx. 100 million items
• References: 1.4 billion
• Access options: institutional subscription only
• Provider: Clarivate (formerly Thomson Reuters)

PubMed is the number one resource for anyone looking for literature in medicine or biological sciences. PubMed stores abstracts and bibliographic details of more than 30 million papers and provides full text links to the publisher sites or links to the free PDF on PubMed Central (PMC) .

• Coverage: approx. 35 million items
• Discipline: Medicine and Biological Sciences
• Access options: free
• Provider: NIH

For education sciences, ERIC is the number one destination. ERIC stands for Education Resources Information Center, and is a database that specifically hosts education-related literature.

• Coverage: approx. 1.6 million items
• Discipline: Education
• Provider: U.S. Department of Education

IEEE Xplore is the leading academic database in the field of engineering and computer science. It's not only journal articles, but also conference papers, standards and books that can be search for.

• Coverage: approx. 6 million items
• Discipline: Engineering
• Provider: IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)

ScienceDirect is the gateway to the millions of academic articles published by Elsevier, 1.4 million of which are open access. Journals and books can be searched via a single interface.

• Coverage: approx. 19.5 million items

The DOAJ is an open-access academic database that can be accessed and searched for free.

• Coverage: over 8 million records
• Provider: DOAJ

JSTOR is another great resource to find research papers. Any article published before 1924 in the United States is available for free and JSTOR also offers scholarships for independent researchers.

• Coverage: more than 12 million items
• Provider: ITHAKA

Start using a reference manager like Paperpile to save, organize, and cite your references. Paperpile integrates with PubMed and many popular databases, so you can save references and PDFs directly to your library using the Paperpile buttons:

Scopus is one of the two big commercial, bibliographic databases that cover scholarly literature from almost any discipline. Beside searching for research articles, Scopus also provides academic journal rankings, author profiles, and an h-index calculator .

PubMed is the number one resource for anyone looking for literature in medicine or biological sciences. PubMed stores abstracts and bibliographic details of more than 30 million papers and provides full text links to the publisher sites or links to the free PDF on PubMed Central (PMC)

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Thesis & Dissertation Database Examples

Published on September 9, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on July 6, 2024.

During the process of writing your thesis or dissertation , it can be helpful to read those submitted by other students.

Luckily, many universities have databases where you can find out who has written about your dissertation topic previously and how they approached it. While some databases are only accessible via your university library, more and more universities are making these databases public.

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Title: pre-training and in-context learning is bayesian inference a la de finetti.

Abstract: Accurately gauging uncertainty on the underlying environment is a longstanding goal of intelligent systems. We characterize which latent concepts pre-trained sequence models are naturally able to reason with. We go back to De Finetti's predictive view of Bayesian reasoning: instead of modeling latent parameters through priors and likelihoods like topic models do, De Finetti has long advocated for modeling exchangeable (permutation invariant) sequences of observables. According to this view, pre-training autoregressive models formulates informed beliefs based on prior observations ("empirical Bayes"), and forward generation is a simulated instantiation of an environment ("posterior inference"). This connection allows extending in-context learning (ICL) beyond predictive settings, highlighting sequence models' ability to perform explicit statistical inference. In particular, we show the sequence prediction loss over exchangeable documents controls performance on downstream tasks where uncertainty quantification is key. Empirically, we propose and demonstrate several approaches for encoding exchangeability in sequence model architectures: data augmentation, regularization, and causal masking.

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Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, and Financial Economics

The proliferation of large unstructured datasets along with advances in artificial intelligence (AI) technology provides researchers in financial economics with new opportunities for data analysis, and it also changes the set of subjects these researchers are studying. As AI becomes increasingly important in making decisions using financial market data, it becomes crucial to study how AI interacts with both data resources and with human decisionmakers. 

To promote research on emerging issues related to the methodology, applications, and socioeconomic implications of the growing availability of large datasets and AI tools, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), with the generous support of the Office of Financial Research (OFR) and in collaboration with the Review of Financial Studies (RFS) , will convene a research conference on December 13, 2024. The program will be organized by RFS  Executive Editor Tarun Ramadorai of Imperial College London, and NBER Research Associates Itay Goldstein of the University of Pennsylvania, Chester Spatt of Carnegie Mellon University, and Mao Ye of Cornell University.

The organizers will consider submissions on topics including, but not limited to: 

 •  Unstructured Data Analysis and AI: The impact on financial markets of the growing use of AI technology to analyze unstructured data, such as text, images, audio, and video.

 •  Trading and AI: The impact of using AI in high-frequency trading, algorithmic trading, and the impacts of this use on financial markets.

 •  Big Data and AI in Investment: The rise of machines in asset management, particularly the growing analysis of high-dimensional datasets using machine learning techniques.

 •  Big Data and AI in Corporate Decisions: The impact of AI as well as other means of analyzing unstructured datasets and automating decision-making on corporate decisions, such as capital budgeting, working capital management, and regulatory compliance and reporting.

 •  Financial Institutions and Financial Intermediation: The impact of AI, fintech, and the analysis of large datasets on traditional financial institutions.

 •  AI and Regulation: The role of AI in detecting improper market conduct, the regulation of algorithms and winner-take-all markets, and strategies for ensuring accountability, fairness and transparency in AI models.

The organizers welcome submissions of both empirical and theoretical research papers and encourage submissions from scholars who are early in their careers, who are not NBER affiliates, and who are from under-represented groups in the financial economics profession.  Papers that are submitted for presentation at the conference may also be submitted to the RFS  under its dual review system at no extra cost. Papers that are rejected at any stage of this process are not considered to have been “rejected” at the RFS .  Authors may submit a future version of the same paper to the RFS , even if the paper is not selected for presentation at the conference. For a paper to be considered under the dual submission option, it may not be under review or invited revision at any journal, including the RFS, until the author has been notified of the outcome of the dual submission process. The details of the dual submission program may be found at http://sfs.org/dualsubmissionpolicy/. To be considered for inclusion on the program, papers must be uploaded by 11:59 pm EDT on Thursday, September 12, 2024 to one of the following sites:

For submissions to both the conference and the Review of Financial Studies

For submissions to the conference alone  

Please do not submit papers that have been accepted for publication or that will be published before the conference. Authors chosen to present papers will be notified in October, 2024. All presenters are expected to attend the meeting in person. The NBER will cover the travel and lodging cost of up to two presenters per paper. 

Questions about this conference may be addressed to  [email protected] .

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AuthenText: Machine-Generated Text Detection in Student Essays

Problem & motivation.

In the new world of developing AI usage, industries are facing new and unique challenges. In the classroom setting, MGT (machine-generated text) usage in student essays presents new and complex challenges that educators must navigate. 1) Educators need to use additional time to not only evaluate student essays, now they have to check if these essays were written by a machine or by them. And this is a very complicated task for them to manually check, especially since we should not expect them to have a strong background in MGT. 2) Millions of students have been suspected of using MGT in their essays. 3) Current MGT detection tools are not as reliable as they claim. This is especially important, since false positives can lead to students being accused of using MGT, when they haven't. Our capstone aim is to create an MGT detection tool that can determine if K-12 grade student essays are either MGT or human-written. Our ultimate aim is to uphold academic integrity and keep students accountable. Relieve educators the burden of manually checking every single essay for MGT and giving them back valuable time. And finally we aim to instill confidence to them regarding AI text detection tool's accuracy

Data Source & Data Science Approach

Our project used a dataset including 160000 student essays. This dataset includes a mix of human-written and MGT essays. The MGT is generated from various generative text models (e.g. ChatGPT, Llama-70b, Falcon 180b). We used a Binoculars score model to determine the distinction between MGT and human-written. It works by computing scores for the LLM tokens and evaluates the text based on how "surprising" the tokens are. The more "surprising" the text, the more likely it is to be human. This model was evaluated to be robust with an AUC of 0.9933.

Upon initial testing, we found that the model was robust at distinguishing between purely human-written essays and MGT essays with recall score of 0.98. We primarily looked at the recall score, since we wanted to prioritize minimizing false negatives. Since this result meant that students would get away with using MGT on their essay. Based on feedback from an educator, we learned that students can try evading MGT detection tools by replacing only parts of their essay with MGT, instead of solely relying on MGT. So our team generated new datasets  by replacing (rephrasing or fill-in-blank) parts of human-written essays based on set percentages of masking tokens with MGT to evaluate the binoculars score model. This is to replicate the real-world scenario of a student replacing parts of their essay with MGT. 

Key Learnings & Impact

While the model is robust at distinguishing between purely human-written essays and MGT essays, it falls short at determining partially MGT essays. We found that the more MGT present in a student essay, the better the model performed. binoculars is able to detect "Fill-in-blank" MGT more accurately than "Rephrase" MGT.  To binoculars, there is more similarity between a completely human-written essay and an essay with a small amount of human text.

Acknowledgements

We want to give a major shoutout to Puya Vahabi and Kira Wetzel and our domain expert. Their feedback has been extremely helpful, and we cannot thank them enough.

More Information

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13 Free Essay Sample Databases to Get Inspired

Sometimes, you may lack inspiration or examples of how to fulfill the task of writing. In this case, you can use free essay sample databases. These platforms give access to thousands of excellent papers that you can learn from. There are numerous essays of different types, covering a wide variety of topics. You will find something related to your assignment!

We reviewed twelve popular essay example databases to find out how they can be helpful for you. Each of them offers an outstanding selection of writing pieces. There are papers discussing medical, political, social, cultural, personal, scientific, and many other issues. Let’s take a tour through the rank of the best platforms!

• 🥇 Top-13 Websites to Get Free Essay Examples

🤓 Best Essay Writing Service: Editor’s Choice

🥇 #1 free essay sample database, 💸 best business essay examples website, 🩺 best nursing essay examples, 👍 best user-friendly service, 📝 how to use essay examples in your writing, 🥇 top-13 websites to get free college essay examples.

There are plenty of websites offering access to free paper samples online. However, many of them suggest writing pieces that don’t follow standard rules and contain numerous errors. We selected a list of top-notch university and high school essay sample databases which contain papers reviewed by experts so that you see only ones of excellent quality. Study the examples from the databases below to get inspired or learn new writing tricks. We developed a table that will help you compare all the platforms quickly.

To evaluate the effectiveness of each service, we analyzed their interface, key features, the number, and the variety of papers. Each of the platforms can be beneficial for you, so read our overview and find what best fits you!

If you can’t find the topic you need on the other platforms, try IvyPanda . This essay sample database contains the widest variety of subjects and is probably the most diverse one. You can choose from 26 topics, with each including up to 20 subcategories. There’s a slight chance you won’t find what you are looking for or anything related that can be helpful as well.

You can look for the essays by entering the keywords or searching by topics. Select whichever method is more convenient for you. In any case, the whole process won’t take too long. Some categories also present tips on writing about a particular subject, so don’t miss this.

Be mindful that when searching by keywords, the algorithm analyzes the whole writing piece so that the words you enter may appear not in the title or main topic but play a secondary role.

On a typical essay sample preview, you will see the title, subject, word & page count, and the first few sentences. This will give you an idea of what the paper looks like. As you open the essay, you will see its rating, table of contents (if there’s any), and the work itself. You can see the reference list at the bottom of the page, which can also be named “Works Cited.” This point depends on the formatting style to help you detect which one the author used. You can also learn the reading time of the work.

If you need to cite a particular essay, click on the “Cite This” button on the top of the page or scroll down to the “Cite This Paper section.”You will have five citation styles in this block: APA-6, MLA-8, Chicago (N-B), Chicago (A-D), and Harvard. Choose the one according to your task.

After each essay sample, the platform suggests related papers that you can study as well. This is particularly handy when you’re researching a specific topic and need to find as many sources as possible. And don’t forget to take a look at the reference list and read through the articles or book summaries mentioned.

Do you want to find essay examples for free on the topic you need in seconds? Well, that’s possible with the StudyCorgi . This service provides a great user experience, as it is super easy to navigate. You can search essays by topic or by keywords. There are over 3,000 writing compositions on the platforms, so you will definitely find what you need.

Study Corgi offers essays related to an extensive list of subjects and fields of study. Some of the most popular topics include:

• Art & Design
• Diet & Nutrition
• Environment
• Business & Economics

There are even interview essay examples for free. All the essays which you can find on this website are written by English-speaking students from all around the world. They have various study backgrounds; however, their works share one thing in common. The expert team highly evaluated the writings that they shared through StudyCorgi.

The StudyCorgi website has a friendly interface, so you will have a great time using it. Each essay is displayed on a separate web page, featuring the essay’s topic, word count, and upload date. There’re two options of what you can do with the essay: print it or cite.

Some writings contain subheadings, so you can easily find the section you want. There are papers of various lengths, starting from around 300 words to 5000 words. You can discover different types of essays on this platform. StudyCorgi provides its readers with cause and effect essay examples, argumentative paper samples, persuasive, descriptive, and many more kinds of writings.

StudyCorgi is a free service, and you get many perks by using it. The platform contains zero ads or annoying pop-ups, so nothing will disturb you in the process of searching for your perfect essay sample. The papers’ quality is beyond any comments, so you can stop doubting whether they are worthy samples or not. What’s more, you won’t get bored of using this platform thanks to its playful interface and an outstanding selection of essay topics. We are sure: many students spend hours exploring its most profound depths.

Business Essay

The Business Essay platform is explicitly designed for students in this field. It contains hundreds of articles on such topics as brand management, business ethics, corporate culture, decision making, e-commerce, entrepreneurship, global scale management, and many more. If you are looking for MBA essay samples, you will find this service helpful as well. It might be the largest essay sample database of essays on business major.

Like the other platforms on our list, Business Essay accepts only high-quality papers that scored excellent marks. Students from all over the world submit their essays, and the website’s team checks them, so there is no chance you will come across a paper with numerous errors and poor content. Each paper is also plagiarism-free, so don’t hesitate to reference the essays you liked.

You can find the proper essay sample by entering the keywords or searching by topics. Open the “Essay Subjects” page and find the one your assignment relates to. If you scroll down, there will be the latest essay samples submitted to the platform. When you don’t have a specific topic to write on, this section might be beneficial.

Use the papers as essay outline samples or get inspiration from the content. See how others explore and present the issue under study. It will be beneficial to analyze your colleagues’ writing approaches and techniques in their papers to boost your own skills. You learn faster when you see how things work in practice rather than in theory. That’s why it may be more effective to read through some excellent essay samples than numerous articles on how to write a paper.

Business is a diverse field of study, and it has dozens of exciting subjects to dwell on. You can write essays of different types, including argumentative, descriptive, cause & effect, compare & contrast, etc. Here are five trending topics to discuss in 2024:

• The Impact of the Pandemic on Small Businesses
• Benefits of Working Remotely
• Is User Review Crucial?
• How to Succeed in the Volatile Work Environment?
• New Technologies in Retail Supply Chains
• Is Ultimate Equity at Work Achievable?

NursingBird

If you’re a medical student, you will benefit from trying the  NursingBird  service. The spectrum of topics that you can find here ranges from surgery to alternative medicine. You can learn about health IT, epidemiology, geriatrics, rehabilitation, oncology, and many more engaging subjects. This platform is a rare find for medical school students.   

Here, you will come across short essay examples as well as longer ones. The papers vary in their structure, formatting styles, and writing approaches. You can learn new techniques or see how to outline your paper. Experts in the medical field assess and select each of the submitted essays manually. They evaluate the papers that students from different countries submit to the platform and choose the ones with zero errors and excellent content. The essays also contain no plagiarism, so that you can refer to them in your paper with no doubt.

The easiest way to find an essay sample that you need is to type the keywords in the search bar on the main page. The results will appear in seconds. Another way of finding papers on NursingBird is to search them by topic. Open the page “Essay Subjects” and select the one your assignment relates to. There’s no single right way to do that, but both methods can be effective.

What’s utterly amazing about NursingBird is that this online essay database is free and still contains no ads. You can enjoy this superb platform with nothing disturbing you in the process. The website’s administrators understand your pain of dealing with endless popping up banners when you try to find what you need!

AssignZen  is a platform where anyone can find an essay sample they need. This website is a quick and effortless way to find inspiration for completing your writing assignment. It has a fresh and user-friendly interface that makes your experience more pleasant. 

Here, you will find writings of any educational level and on a wide variety of topics. AssignZen provides university, college, and high school essays. You can explore the subjects like design, art, tourism, politics, religion, transportation, technology, and others. Each category contains dozens of diverse papers. You may encounter multiple genres, including argumentative, free compare and contrast essay examples, reaction, and other papers. All of them are excellent representatives of their kinds. AssignZen is a great platform to discover essays on daily life issues. Also, it’s one of not so many services where you can find papers on warfare and sports.

Each essay uploaded to the AssignZen platform goes through a detailed quality check. A team of academic experts analyzes its grammatical and content aspects. Also, they check if the writing piece is plagiarism-free and meets the formatting style standards. Thanks to this, you can be sure that the essay you find here will be of outstanding quality.

Enter your key subject of the assignment in the search bar on the main page to find the paper you need. Also, you can scroll down to topics to choose from. Use whichever method seems more straightforward and more effective for you. If your assignment is rather general, searching by categories might be more beneficial because you can come across more diverse papers. However, when writing about something specific, it will be more productive to search by keywords.

This platform focuses mainly on humanitarian topics, so you can find many excellent essay samples on philosophy, sociology, social media, history, and law. Still, the papers on technology and other related topics here are also worth your attention. Check them out and get inspiration for your assignment!

If you’re looking for a simple online service to seek inspiration for your next assignment, try  123HelpMe . This platform makes the process of finding the proper essay easy and stress-free. Here, you can find works of any type and level. 123HelpMe is a free essay database college and university papers, descriptive, argumentative, reflective, creative, and other kinds of essays. Anyone can come across what they need.

The interface of the platform is playful and exciting to explore. There are no ads and no annoying pop-ups so that the website looks clean, and you don’t get disrupted when doing your work. Also, the topic navigation menu is highly convenient to use. All subjects are divided into six categories: Essay Type, Science, Business, Social Issues, Humanities, and Literature. Press “+” next to each subject to see some essays on this topic.

Another way to find what you need among 123HelpMe essays is to enter the keywords. Detect the words that describe your topic best and type them in the search bar. For instance, to find an essay about the effects of WWII, you can use write: “WWII effects” or “WWII consequences.”Keep in mind that when searching by keywords, the algorithm analyzes the title and the whole text. That’s why sometimes, the essay may not be about precisely what you need because the words you used play a secondary role in its content.

PapersGeeks

PapersGeeks is a free online essay database that offers a variety of handful resources to students worldwide. The website’s interface is clear, simple, and easy to navigate, making it easy to find the information you need.

One of the most valuable features of PapersGeeks is its extensive range of topics. The website covers everything from literature and history to medicine, science, and engineering. Whether you’re looking for information on a specific topic or want to browse through some interesting articles, PapersGeeks has you covered.

Each topic contains plenty of sample essays, which can be incredibly helpful for those struggling to get started with their own writing. All samples are submitted by students and cover a range of different paper types and formats, so there’s something for everyone. You can print any essay you like, or, if you find it useful and want to use some ideas in your paper, just head to the end of essay example, pick up the referencing style and click to copy the citation.

PapersGeeks also offers free online tools to help students improve their writing skills. These include a paraphrasing tool, essay reducer, and research title enhancer. You can use them to rephrase any text, summarize your essay or article, and pick the right title for your future paper. These tools are invaluable for anyone who wants to ensure their work is of the highest quality.

PapersGeeks is suitable for anyone interested in improving their writing skills or learning more about a particular topic. The website is beneficial for students who are looking for guidance and support with their academic work. However, the resources available on PapersGeeks can also come in handy for academics who need to write reports, proposals, or other documents.

Another easy-to-use sample resource on our list is the Bartleby essay database. This platform will help you conquer writer’s block and blank paper anxiety. It’s a website with hundreds of excellent papers in free access. The topics here range from anatomy to philosophy, and Bartleby provides a rich collection of literature essays. For instance, you may come across a free will vs determinism essay. You can find outstanding poetry and non-fiction works reviews. And there’s a lot to discover on business too! If you need ultimate inspiration, this is a proper place for getting it.

The interface of the platform is straightforward, and you can explore the database in several ways. Firstly, you can look through the list of popular works. It includes essays of different academic levels relating to various fields of study.

Secondly, you can go through the most in-demand topics on the website. This list differs from the familiar ones where you have general names of disciplines. It focuses on famous events, people, phenomena, etc., for instance, “1984,” “Abraham Lincoln,” “WWII,” “Hamlet,” “Hipaa,” “Immigration,” and so on.

The last section on the website offers to explore literary analysis. Click on the button under each of the abovementioned blocks to see more essay samples or topics. The lists may not be the most convenient option in this case; however, the variety of subjects and papers will impress anyone.

StudentShare

StudentShare  is a free online service that you can also use to find excellent college essay samples. Here, your colleagues upload their finest works to help others improve their writings or get inspiration. A professional team assesses each paper before it goes live. Experts check if the essay meets formatting, content, and grammar standards and whether it contains plagiarism. Thus, the works you can see online are all A-grade ones.  

On this website, you can adjust the already familiar search by keywords. Enter the words that best describe your topic and click on one of the options under “Search in.” The algorithm can analyze the title, the document, or both, to find what you need.  

If you’re unsure of what’s the best way to use the platform, watch a short tutorial on it. Also, you can search papers by their type. There are various kinds of essays and other task samples like math problems, thesis proposals, statistics projects, and more. Here’s a list of some genres you may encounter on this database:

• Reflection essay samples,
• Comparison and contrast essay samples,
• Rhetorical analysis essay samples,
• Descriptive essay samples,
• Analytical essay samples,
• Cause and effect essay samples,
• Argumentative essay examples,
• Narrative essay examples,
• Compare and contrast essay examples,
• Personal essay examples,
• Persuasive essay examples,
• Definition essay examples,
• Expository essay examples,
• Informative essay examples,
• Descriptive essay examples.

What’s more, StudentShare provides other free and paid services for students, such as GPA calculation, essay guiding, topic generation, and more. This platform can be the ultimate academic assistant for you.

Although the interface is a bit outdated and sometimes confusing, this database is still convenient for daily use, and you can find a proper paper relatively quickly.

UKEssays is a huge database with thousands of papers on topics from chemistry to fashion. Here, you can discover a wide variety of different academic levels, formatting styles, and types. It’s a diverse collection of essays on everyday topics, as well as more professionally specified ones. UKEssays also suggests papers on some unusual subjects, such as beauty therapy, motivation, video games, young people, theology, and more.

On this website, you can try browsing essay samples by the topic they relate to first. This approach can be handy if you want to discover more related papers to the subject you’re writing about. Another method of searching for the proper essay is scrolling down and typing the keywords in the search bar. Try to shorten them to two or three words maximum, so the results will be the most relevant. The website suggests how your inquiry may look like, and it is useful for you to follow it.

The results of your search are displayed on a separate web page. You will see a list of essay samples, each tab including a title and a brief piece of introduction, so you can get to know what the text is about. As you click on the paper, you see an entire work, word count, and works cited.

Among the drawbacks of this platform is an overwhelming number of ad banners, making it a bit challenging to concentrate on the essay examples and your research. Also, there are too many buttons all over the page. However, the high quality of papers and the other platform’s features makes it a handy tool to use every time you need a powerful writing sample.

SpeedyPaper

Looking for a huge essay sample database?  SpeedyPaper  has thousands of excellent texts to help you. This platform offers a wide variety of works on popular and less mundane topics. If you’re studying some unusual subjects like ethnography or forensic science, this is the right place to get inspiration!

The platform provides different approaches to exploring the database. First, you can see a search bar where you can enter two types of information regarding your needs:

• essay sample, approximate word count,
• topic description or related keywords.

Both options will lead you to relevant results. Keep in mind that you should use to many words to describe the paper you’re looking for. It’s better to make it within ten-fifteen words at the most.

Another way to explore the depth of this database is to explore the subjects. There is a list of topics under the search bar, which you can sort by the first letter, select popular ones, or view all. You can see how many essays available on the particular issue next to each category.

The essay samples cost nothing to read, so you can check out as many as you need to discover the proper ones. Analyzing how the paper’s content and structure can be beneficial to get the gist of the excellent outlining and compelling writing techniques. You can come across excellent essay conclusion examples, for instance. That’s why, although the SpeedyPapers website has some pop-ups, and the interface might be a bit outdated, the platform is still worth your time.

FreeEssay.com

FreeEssay.com  claims to have around 500,000 essays to offer you for daily inspiration. The platform collects works that students from all around the world share with their colleagues. Here, you can discover new points of view on the subjects you are studying or writing about. 

Let’s see how this service can benefit you.

The website provides quick and convenient ways to find the proper essay sample. You can search essays by keywords, entering the phrases that describe your topic in the shortest form. The second method involves exploring the list of subjects and popular papers. There are works to anyone’s taste and of any type: 5-paragraph essay samples, literary analysis, sociology, business, law, and other compositions.

Before uploading to the platform, a team of experienced academic specialists check the works submitted by the students. They choose only the A-grade papers which contain zero errors and are plagiarism-free. The service cares about your source of inspiration being trustworthy and high-quality.

On the FreeEssay database, you can find papers on major literary and cinematography pieces. You can also explore popular scientific or political issues. And the best part about it is that you shouldn’t pay anything. Like a not user-friendly interface, the minor inconveniences don’t really affect this platform is one of the best essay example collections on the web.

Last but not least, the Kibin essay platform is the twelfth best college essay sample database on our list. It’s a great place to check out if you’re stuck with the writing assignment. Here, you will find inspiration and hundreds of top-notch papers to learn from.

One of the essential features of this platform is easy navigation through the website. You can find what you need within minutes and without being disturbed by popping up ads or anything else. The interface is clean and straightforward.

There are two approaches that you can adopt when looking for a proper essay. The first is to type the keywords for your assignment in the search bar and search among the most relevant results. However, you may also encounter not 100% related to your subject texts. That can happen because the search engine detects the keywords you entered in the whole text, not paying attention to which role they play in the context. So, if you can’t find what you need using this method, you can try the second one.

Another approach to looking for samples on Kibin is to browse the list below the search bar. The papers are organized so that you can find the one you need by its type or category. For instance, you can look through the free argumentative essays examples to understand how to outline them.

In the previous section, we reviewed all twelve platforms’ primary features on our list of costless essay sample databases. Now, it’s time to move further in this adventure and take a closer look at the best of these services. Why do we think they’re the most effective ones? We evaluated their capabilities and user experience and compared them with the other websites. Also, we checked how easy it is to find what you need on each platform, and the ones below proved to be the fastest.

Let’s see which databases are on our top-of-the-line list!

Can you guess which platform has the most extensive range of topics and the largest amount of essay samples? We don’t want to challenge your curiosity, so here is the answer. The ultimate winner of this rank is IvyPanda !

Now, let’s discuss why.

Firstly, the database size is impressive. Just imagine that here you can discover more than 100,000 essays in free access! That means that the chances to find what you’re looking for are especially high. You can forget about hours of scrolling through web pages in search of a helpful article on your topic. We are pretty sure that you can find work on the same or related subject here.

Secondly, the user-oriented interface makes the experience of using this service exceptionally pleasant. There are no ads that can disturb you and no annoying pop-ups that cover half screen– only a clean workspace and easy flow from the very beginning. You need to take just two effortless steps to find an appropriate essay sample:

• Search the essay by topic, word or page count, type, or keywords.
• Check several works to make the best of your research.

A great benefit of this platform is that your searching options are not limited to one or two. There are only a few platforms where you can find essays by their type, and hardly any services offer you to search by the number of words or pages.

When can this be helpful?

If you want to see how other students organized their lengthy papers, you may not pay much attention to its subject. In this case, it will be more time-saving to search by the particular word count. For instance, you can learn how many paragraphs to write for an introduction if your paper is over 5,000 words.

Almost all platforms of this type contain essays on business-related  topics; however, only one specializes exclusively on this subject. If you were reading our article carefully, you might already know the answer. It’s the  Business Essay  database.

This website provides costless access to hundreds of papers on various topics. Here is a list of some of them:

• Brand Management
• Business Communication
• Company Analysis
• Company Missions
• Corporate Governance
• Decision Making
• Employees Management
• Financial Marketing
• Global Scale Management
• Leadership Styles
• Risk Management
• Strategic Management

Here, you can business school essay examples for any study level and of any type. There are argumentative, cause & effect, descriptive, persuasive, and many other papers. You can learn their specific features by analyzing the examples. It’s much more productive than studying theory only.

The Business Essay platform is easy to navigate and, what’s more, contains zero ads, which makes it super convenient to use. The interface, in this case, is crucial, and it’s performing its duty excellently – you can find what you need in seconds and save your time for more exciting activities.

This platform exists thanks to the hundreds of students worldwide and a team of academic professionals. The first supply their high-quality essays, while the second check them and select the best ones. You can donate your writing piece as well. Complete a short form on the website and upload the file. You will get the check report on your email. Thus, you will help thousands of students who seek inspiration on this platform daily.

The process of searching for the proper essay is fast and almost effortless. Start by typing your subject or keywords to the search bar topic, press “Enter,” and discover dozens of unique works. Another approach is exploring the list categories. Choose a subject to which your assignment relates, for instance, “Risk Management,” and see what essays about this there are.

Business Essay is a particularly useful online service for students who major in management, economics, logistics, entrepreneurship, and everything connected with this field. Use the examples from here to improve your outlining and creative skills. You can also reference papers from this platform, as they are plagiarism-free and contain top-notch content. Be sure to check related samples when reading an essay. We hope you will find more than you expected!

Healthcare and medical issues require high scrupulousness and a solemn attitude when you’re discussing them. While humanitarian students are more likely to deal with essays daily, medical students receive this kind of task less frequently. People who can write well tend to be more straightforward, can justify their decisions, and understand the relations between events better. Isn’t it crucial for writing an excellent nursing school admission essay?

If you want to improve these skills or simply get some clues on how to fulfill your writing assignment, try the  NursingBird  platform.

This website contains hundreds of excellent nursing essay samples. Whichever specialty you have, be sure that you can find exactly what you need here. Discover new views on the topics you’re already familiar with or explore subjects unknown to you. Here, students worldwide share their best works, helping each other boost their writing and creative skills.

The process of using this service is as straightforward as it is. There are two routes you may take to find healthcare essay examples. The first one is to enter the keywords of your assignment in the search bar on the main page’s top. Type in the words that represent the essence of your task. For instance, if your topic sounds like “Cytarabine and Its Neurological Side Effects,” you can select only two words from this long name to find a sample: Cytarabine effects.

Another way to get a proper medical school essay examples is to look through the list of popular healthcare topics. There are thirty general categories, each of them containing dozens of papers. Tap on any your task relates to and look for what you need. This method is particularly helpful if you want to discover a work on a specific issue and other connected essays.

Too bored scrolling monotonous essay databases? We know two platforms that will change your experience of using this type of service. These are  StudyCorgi  and  AssignZen ! They will make the process of working on your paper funnier and less tiring.

The first thing to mention about these websites is their well-thought interfaces. The information is located, so it’s easy to find what you need quickly. Also, the design of both platforms is playful and bright so that you enjoy the process of working with them. On the top of the websites’ main pages, you can see a search bar to type in the keywords and find a proper essay. Then, you can scroll down, read about these platforms and discover the recently uploaded paper. If you go further, you will see a list of popular topics.

As you open any category or search essays by subject, you will see dozens of works displayed on separate tab each. The tab’s information includes the paper’s title, word count, uploading date, and a short piece of text so you can get a clue what the essay is about. The paper page includes the work itself and an essay subjects menu, so you can promptly jump to another topic if needed.

Before being posted on the platform, each essay on both platforms should pass a quality check by a team of academic experts. They analyze its grammar, content, formatting, and scan for plagiarism. The monitors will accept not every work submitted by other students, so you needn’t worry about the quality of the essays you encounter on StudyCorgi and AssignZen. All of them can benefit you in different ways!

Do you know what blank paper anxiety is? If you’re familiar with this issue, essay sample databases will be helpful for you. Sometimes, when you see the assignment, you have no idea of how to fulfill it. Then, you’re just staring at the blank page and wait for inspiration to come. If this happens to you even once in a semester, we have a solution. Discover free writing examples online to save your time and effort.

College Essay Samples as a Source of Inspiration and Knowledge

It’s a helpful thing to bear in mind: you can find an excellent paper written on the topic you’re assigned in 95% of cases. So, if you don’t manage to find good examples, maybe, you’re searching in the wrong place? The platforms like Ivy Panda, Study Corgi, or the others from the list above are the ones that will surely help you.

Why is it handy to see the writing examples? You can learn a lot from them, from structure to tone of voice and vocabulary use. They will also help you understand how different citation styles work in actual cases. For instance, how you should cite a YouTube video according to the APA style.

What’s more, checking college essay samples can impact your creativity . You may notice exciting writing techniques and tricks and learn them for further use. Although the essay outline standards are relatively low-key, there’s enough space for experiments, and students often play around with sectioning their papers. The more samples you look through, the more approaches you get to know, which increases your creative skills.

One of the main concerns regarding essay databases is the quality of the writings . However, you needn’t worry about this when speaking of the platforms e reviewed. All of them employ teams of academic experts who check the works being uploaded on the websites. You will come across the best essays only, which scored at least B+.

Essay Outline: Samples to Learn the Paper Structure

There are lots of things to learn from sample essays. One of the most obvious and most accessible to comprehend is the paper structure. It’s the first thing that catches your eye when scrolling through the paper.

Some essays have separate sections with titles, while others may not. Both approaches are applicable; however, you should consult your tutor about which one is preferable in your type of task.

When each section has a title, the paper is easier to read because you don’t have to deal with a massive text block at once. Still, for the shorter writings, you may not need to do this.

The primary paper’s outline includes three parts. Some of them may be trickier than others, so be sure to find good essay introduction samples. By studying these, you will learn how to write compelling thesis statements and readdress them in your writing piece’s final section. Another thing to look at is the essay hook examples. These are sentences that grab readers’ attention and engage them in the topic under study. Here is an excellent sample of how you can place a hook in the introduction:

The highlighted piece plays a crucial role in this paragraph because it addresses the readers and makes them think of these questions’ answers. This rhetorical figure is a type of hook that is relatively popular and highly effective.

Essay Samples: Learn the Formatting Rules

Apart from essay outlining, there is another aspect that is easy to fail if you lack experience. Now, let’s talk about formatting styles.

Basically, there are four most common ones: APA, MLA, Harvard, and Chicago. All of them got their names from famous universities or associations. Formatting styles differ mainly in the citation approaches and the treatment of reference lists.

Let’s review some of their key features:

• The APA style helps unify the headings, abbreviations, tone, statistics presentation, construction of figures, and citing references. It’s common for papers on social science, business, and nursing.
• MLA is mainly used by researchers in the field of literature. It helps improve the lengthy essay’s readability and prevents plagiarism by locating the information quickly.
• The Chicago style is popular among art, history, and humanities scientists. Additionally to the bibliography rules, it contains proofreading and editing mechanics.
• Researchers from such fields as sociology, technology, and natural sciences often use the Harvard formatting style . One of its main features is using the author-date method for in-text citations.

The theory is hard to comprehend without practice, so don’t hesitate to check the essay sample databases and find the writing pieces in the style you need!

Today, you’ve learned about some of the most helpful platforms, with hundreds of college essay examples available for free. You don’t need to choose just one of them because they are all worth your attention! Try each of the websites, and you will undoubtedly find something handy. These essay databases will help you get ultimate inspiration and improve your writing skills.

We are happy you made it down here! Keep up with our latest blog posts and review.

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2024 Theses Doctoral

Three Essays in Applied Microeconomics and Behavioral Economics

Campbell, Zakary Adam

This thesis consists of three chapters. The first chapter examines the impact of judicial discretion and left-digit bias on criminal sentencing outcomes. Judicial discretion allows judges to make nuanced decisions, taking into account details of legal cases that are not directly covered by law. However, judicial discretion can also expose behavioral biases and lead to irrational decision-making. I test for the existence of a particular behavioral bias: age-based left-digit bias. Specifically, I use a regression discontinuity design to test for changes in sentencing decisions occurring on an offender's 20th birthday using data on sentencing decisions from the state of Pennsylvania. I find that an offender sentenced just after his/her 20th birthday is 3.5 percentage points more likely to be sentenced to incarceration than an offender sentenced just before his/her 20th birthday. I test for evidence of conscious mechanisms underlying this effect and find no such evidence, leaving an unconscious bias as the best available explanation. Chapter two examines the impact of highly publicized police killings of black individuals on the racial gap in birth outcomes. Police killings of Black Americans are increasingly being met with significant media coverage and public response, including civil unrest. Given the frequency with which these events occur, it is vital to understand both their direct and indirect impacts. Using national birth certificate data and an event study design, I test for the impact of high-profile police-involved killings of Black Americans on racial disparities in maternal stress levels and birth outcomes. I find a large, statistically significant, and persistent increase in gestational hypertension of Black mothers relative to White mothers, strongly indicating an increase in the racial gap in maternal stress following these high-profile killings. I find limited evidence of an accompanying effect on the racial gap in birth outcomes. However, many existing papers similarly find no impacts of maternal stress on birth outcomes while simultaneously finding significant impacts on later-life outcomes, leaving room for additional future work based on these findings. How does the content of public communication by elected representatives change in response to highly salient, politically polarizing events? In Chapter 3, I examine this question using the text of tweets from members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, an n-gram text regression model and sentiment analysis alogorithms, and an event study design focused on mass shootings in the U.S. Observable effects on communication are concentrated on the day of and the day following a mass shooting. Republican members of Congress exhibit a reduced tweet frequency relative to Democratic members of Congress in the immediate aftermath of a shooting, while Democratic members of Congress speak with a more clearly differentiated Democratic vocabulary. Members from both parties speak with a more negative vocabulary. With Republicans collectively disengaging and Democrats collectively highlighting their partisan identification, this may suggest that Democrats are taking advantage of an opportunity for a political and/or policy win while Republicans in the same period are choosing to avoid additional political and/or policy losses.

Geographic Areas

• Pennsylvania
• United States
• Microeconomics
• Human behavior--Economic aspects
• African Americans--Violence against
• African Americans--Health and hygiene
• African American mothers
• Fertility, Human--Social aspects
• Judicial process
• Mass shootings
• United States. Congress. House
• United States. Congress. Senate

More About This Work

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