Which term describes organizing the data in a database to reduce duplication?

• A. Denormalization
• B. Sharding
• C. Normalization
• D. Indexing

Answer: (C)

Normalization is the process of structuring a database so that data dependencies are logical, which means breaking data into separate related tables and linking them with keys. This approach reduces duplication by ensuring each fact is stored in one place, preventing inconsistencies that can arise when the same piece of data exists in multiple places. By organizing data this way, updates, deletions, and insertions become cleaner and safer because a change only needs to be made in one place.

Denormalization reintroduces some duplication on purpose for performance reasons, so it’s not about reducing duplication. Sharding involves distributing data across multiple servers to scale, not about how data is organized to minimize redundancy. Indexing speeds up queries but doesn’t change the data structure to minimize duplication.