Databases help organize large bodies information in a systematic, fixed way.

However, there are many cases in which you don't really need to use a database to organize that information. There are alternatives, such as simple, free form databases. Just type the data into a word processor, and do a search on the file to find specific information. You can also set up the word processor information in a table, after which you can sort it. The result will be very similar indeed to a database.

After a regular database (not a free-form database or table as suggested above) finds information, it groups it according to the criteria that you determine, and it can make reports. That makes it possible to work with and analyze the data, instead of finding one item at a time. Thus, the database does more than the word processor. However, a word processor may be all that you need for your purposes.

This section of the website helps you learn how to set up a database. Most of the information is based on the Access database, which is part of various Microsoft Office packages, but the basic information works with any other database as well.