Which term describes the process of preparing data by removing inconsistencies and reducing redundancy?

• A. Cleaning
• B. Normalization
• C. Mining
• D. Aggregation

Answer: (B)

Normalization focuses on organizing data into related tables so that each fact appears in one place. This structure minimizes duplication, so the same piece of information isn’t repeated in multiple rows, and it enforces logical dependencies between data pieces. As a result, updates, deletions, or insertions are less likely to introduce inconsistencies, because data integrity is maintained through keys and table design. This approach targets how data is stored and related, which is the core way to reduce redundancy and prevent anomalies in a dataset. By contrast, data cleaning targets fixing incorrect or inconsistent values in raw data, mining looks for patterns, and aggregation summarizes data.