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20e3bf lisa 2026-04-27 20:00:52
Add C02 Essential Terms glossary Verbatim from C02-essential-terms.md (25 terms covering data collection, context/data-flow/use-case diagrams, qual/quant). House-style header + topics index + see-also footer added.
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> **DRAFT** — under teacher review.
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# Essential Terms — C02
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Hamilton College · Year 12 · 2026
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A glossary of every term you need to recognise and use correctly across C02. Click a term to expand its definition. Use this as a vocabulary self-check before your C2-1 (Poster Peer-Assessment) and C2-2 (Hand-Drawn Diagrams) validations — if you can't define a term in your own words, you can't defend it under questioning.
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---
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## Topics covered
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- Data collection methods (interviews, surveys, observations, reports)
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- User stories
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- Context diagrams
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- Data flow diagrams
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- Use case diagrams
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---
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## Glossary
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> [!note]- Actor
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> An entity that can interact with the software solution as shown in a use case diagram
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> [!note]- Association
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> A relationship between two elements in a use case diagram
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> [!note]- Close-ended questions
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> Questions that can be answered with a finite set of responses
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> [!note]- Context diagram
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> A visualisation of a system in its entirety that indicates the data that is passed into and out of the system
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> [!note]- Data
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> Raw, unprocessed facts and figures
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> [!note]- Data flow
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> The movement of a piece or collection of data within an information system, as shown in context diagrams and data flow diagrams (DFDs)
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> [!note]- Data flow diagram (DFD)
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> A graphical visualisation of the flow of information within a system, including data provided by external entities
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> [!note]- Data store
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> A representation of a collection of data that is stored in some way within a system
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> [!note]- Entity
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> The users or external systems that interact with the system being created
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> [!note]- Extend
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> A relationship between use cases where one use case has optional or additional functionality, which is represented in a use case diagram as a second use case
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> [!note]- Generalisation
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> A parent-child relationship between two elements in a use case diagram
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> [!note]- Include
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> A relationship between use cases where one use case is tied to, or relies upon, the functionality contained within another use case
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> [!note]- Interview
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> A face-to-face meeting between people for consultative purposes
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> [!note]- Observation
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> A method of data collection that involves physically observing how a system operates and how it is used
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> [!note]- Open-ended questions
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> Questions where the number of potential answers is infinite
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> [!note]- Process (context diagram)
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> An abstract representation of the whole system being created
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> [!note]- Process (data flow diagram)
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> An abstract representation of a function within a system
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> [!note]- Qualitative data
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> Data that consists of descriptive details, usually gathered via surveys or interviews
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> [!note]- Quantitative data
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> Data that can be easily processed in a statistical manner, usually composed of definite numbers
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> [!note]- Relationship
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> The connections between elements within a use case diagram
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> [!note]- Report
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> A written document providing a summary or finding in relation to the context or system being analysed
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> [!note]- Survey
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> A set of questions that ask for a response to be selected from a list of alternatives
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> [!note]- System boundary
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> A rectangle around relevant use cases that indicates the use cases that are within the scope of the solution
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> [!note]- Unified Modeling Language (UML)
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> A general-purpose visual modelling language
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> [!note]- Use case
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> A representation of the transactions or functions a user (actor) can complete in a system, as shown in a use case diagram
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> [!note]- Use case diagram (UCD)
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> A method of describing how a user interacts with a system, using Unified Modeling Language (UML)
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---
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## See also
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- [Context Diagram](Context%20Diagram.md) — the highest-level view of your system
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- [Context Diagram vs Data Flow Diagram](Context%20Diagram%20vs%20Data%20Flow%20Diagram.md) — what changes between Level 0 and Level 1
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- [What Is an Entity](What%20Is%20an%20Entity.md) — entities aren't only people
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- [Excalidraw Diagram Starters](Excalidraw%20Diagram%20Starters.md) — pre-framed canvases for rehearsing all three diagrams