A query is a tool used to ask questions about your data, often within a database, to filter, sort, and extract precise information needed for analysis and reporting.
A query is used to ask questions about your data. When working with databases, a query is a tool that lets you filter, sort, and extract exactly what you need from a pool of data. For example, if you have a list of quiz scores stored in a database, you can use a query to find out how many students scored above a certain threshold or to categorize scores into grades like A, B, C, D, or F. This process of using queries ensures efficient handling and analysis of data, which aligns with the principle highlighted in AP standards 4.1, where students are encouraged to justify the selection of data needed to answer scientific questions.
Queries are part of a broader reporting structure, which emphasizes factual information and addresses core questions such as who, what, when, where, why, and how. Using queries effectively can manage large sets of both quantitative data, like numbers, and qualitative data, like categorical information.