Technical database design

After a brief introduction to the nature of technical databases, the following five database design characteristics are discussed: data verification procedures, structure and presentation of data, data output, and choice of software and hardware. The first two areas, types of data and data verification procedures, are of more importance for scientific databases than for non-technical databases. In this paper, three corrosion databases are discussed in terms of how they address the five design characteristics, whether they include decision tools, and what sophistication level they require from their users. It is noted that, of the five characteristics, only the last one (choice of software and hardware) is subject to occasional drastic changes: the other characteristics, grounded in the user's needs, will evolve with the database. As long as the first four characteristics continue to satisfy the user's needs, the database will be worth porting periodically to new improved platforms that provide enhanced features. Three databases were compared. All three were related to structural materials for nuclear power plants