- In the world of databases, two powerful techniques help organizations extract value from data:
- Data Matching
- Data Mining
Definition
Data Matching
The process of comparing and linking data from different sources to identify records that refer to the same entity.
Definition
Data Mining
The process of discovering patterns, correlations, and insights from large datasets using statistical and computational techniques.
How Data Matching Works
- Data matching involves using algorithms to compare records based on specific attributes, such as names, addresses, or identification numbers.
- The goal is to determine whether two or more records represent the same entity, such as a person, product, or organization.
- Imagine a hospital trying to match patient records from two different databases.
- One database lists a patient as "John A. Smith," while the other lists "Jonathan Smith."
- Data matching algorithms analyze attributes like date of birth, address, and phone number to determine if these records refer to the same person.
Techniques Used in Data Matching
- Exact Matching: Compares records based on identical values in specific fields (e.g., matching Social Security numbers).
- Fuzzy Matching: Uses algorithms to identify similarities in data that may not be identical (e.g., matching "Jon" with "John").
- Rule-Based Matching: Applies predefined rules to determine matches (e.g., matching records with the same email address and phone number).
- Data matching is crucial for maintaining data quality and consistency, especially in organizations that rely on multiple data sources.
