Data Normalization

Data normalization is the process of reducing data to its canonical form. Database normalization is the process of organizing the fields and tables of a relational database to minimize redundancy and dependency.

Database normalization is the process of organizing the fields and tables of a relational database to minimize redundancy and dependency. In creating a database, normalization is the process of organizing it into tables in such a way that the results of using the database are always unambiguous and as intended. Normalization may have the effect of duplicating data within the database and often results in the creation of additional tables. (While normalization tends to increase the duplication of data, it does not introduce redundancy, which is unnecessary duplication.) Normalization is typically a refinement process after the initial exercise of identifying the data objects that should be in the database, identifying their relationships, and defining the tables required and the columns within each table.