On this page:
"Microsoft Access can help you manage your data in ways that no other application can"
Access is probably the least well-known application in the MS Office suite. It is however incredibly useful for a small number of student/staff researchers who need to store and manage large amounts of related data.
Many people start using Access when the program that they are using to keep track of something gradually becomes less fit for the task. For students and researchers, it may be that you need a bespoke system to store your research data, timetable, participant list or budget.
Microsoft Access is a relational database with the following benefits:
Information can be kept in separate tables for ease of use.
Tables can be linked via shared fields.
Data duplication is avoided.
Easy to find information.
Easy to sort information.
Easy to filter information.
Information in several tables can be queried at once.
- Introduction to tablesTables contain all the data in a database. Learn more about creating and modifying tables in Access
- Introduction to queriesQueries can make it easier to select and work with data in different ways. You can use queries to bring data from multiple tables together in one place.
- Import data into an Access databaseImport or export data to/from your database.
- Introduction to data types and field propertiesEvery table in Access is made up of fields. The properties of a field describe the characteristics and behavior of data added to that field. A field's data type is the most important property because it determines what kind of data the field can store.
- Build an expressionExpressions are like Excel formula used to calculate or evaluate values.
