ABSTRACT
This chapter will establish the framework for the remaining chapters of the book by identifying the essential features possessed by a data management system. Two capabilities will be determined as sufficient for dubbing a system as a data management system: the ability to store data and the ability to retrieve it in its current form. In addition, two metrics will be identified that allow us to judge the efficacy of a data management system: data integrity and data accessibility. The chapter will also discuss the importance of and describe the basic approach to accomplishing data modeling. Finally, the significance of a data management plan, as well as the key elements required, will be presented.
