What is structured data?
The SQL 92 standard defines the 19 atomic datatypes that are used in most database programming. We refer to these kinds of data as “simple structured”. Oracle Objects introduces the ideas of REFs and collections. We refer to these kinds of data as “complex structured”. LOBs provide another way to store information. We refer to them as “unstructured”.
Structured data is a broad concept that encompasses a variety of information environments-from very basic spreadsheets to enterprise-level relational database management systems (RDBMS). While there is a world of difference between a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and an Oracle database in terms of both complexity and functionality, these systems do share a common premise: At their core, both are formally defined schemas of rows and columns that are designed to promote efficient data storage and retrieval. How is structured data important to discovery? Each individual data point in a structured environment holds little meaning by itself; but when pieced together the information often exposes a larger story. To illustrate, consider a fictional company that is sued for age discrimination. Examining the data points of just a few employees-for example, date of birth, date of hire, job history, and performance reviews-probably won’t reveal much about the company’s motives. Extracting and analy
