III: Small: Usable Databases Through Organic Technology

如今，数据库系统因其管理复杂信息和有效处理大型数据集查询的能力而受到重视。然而，它们很难使用，需要仔细设计数据库结构，并精确指定查询以匹配该结构。因此，采用存在很大的障碍。这个项目试图通过有机而不是工程地创建数据库和查询，从用户身上消除这些负担。该项目正在开发甚至在指定完整结构之前就可以使用的数据库。一开始，在添加大量信息之前，甚至可能根本没有结构。随着时间的推移，用户将能够随着数据的增加和需求的变化而有机地发展和发展结构。该项目还在开发数据库查询技术，以减轻用户准确指定查询的负担，并了解所查询的数据库的结构和查询结果的期望结构。相反，这个项目将允许用户增量地陈述信息需求。用户将能够操作和构造结果集，而不是在查询规范时对结果进行结构化。这些好处是通过使用表示数据模型实现的，该模型在数据库系统中作为逻辑和物理数据模型层之上的成熟层实现。使用生物医学数据库应用程序对开发的系统进行测试和完善。预期研究结果将大大改善技术和非技术用户使用数据库的方式，并影响数据管理方面的新一代研究。有关该项目的更多信息，请访问http://www.eecs.umich.edu/db/usable/。

Database systems are valued today on account of their ability to manage complex information and efficiently process queries on large data sets. However, they are difficult to use, requiring careful design of database structure, and precise specification of queries to match this structure. In consequence, there is a large barrier to adoption. This project seeks to remove these burdens from the user through the notion of organic, rather than engineered, creation of both database and queries.This project is developing databases that can be used even before the complete structure is specified. In the beginning, before much information is added, there may even be no structure at all. Over time, the user will be able to grow and evolve the structure organically as data is added and needs change. This project is also developing querying techniques for databases that reduce the burden on the user to specify a query exactly, and to know both the structure of the database being queried and the desired structure of the query result. This project, in contrast, will allow users to state an information need incrementally. Rather than structuring the result at the time of query specification, the user will be able to manipulate and structure the result set. These benefits are accomplished through the use of a presentation data model, which is implemented in the database system as a full-fledged layer above the logical and physical data model layers. Biomedical database applications are employed to test and refine the developed system. The research results are expected to greatly improve the way databases are used by both technical and non-technical users and to influence a generation of research in data management. Additional information about the project is available at http://www.eecs.umich.edu/db/usable/.