[R-sig-DB] request for examples

[Paul Murrell]

Hi

I hope you don't mind this "cold call", but this seems like a really
good place to contact people with interest/experience/expertise in stats
and databases ... 

I am busy producing a course on statistical computing for stage II
students (to be delivered in the second half of this year).

I will be teaching them about some databases issues:  advantages of
databases as a way to store information, how to design databases
properly, how to retrieve information using SQL.

What I am seriously lacking are some killer examples.  

Would anyone be able to help me with any of the following ...

(i)  killer examples where a database is clearly a superior method of
storing information than, say, plain text files or spreadsheets or
statistical-package-specific formats

(ii)  an actual real-life statistical database that could be copied to a
local server for the students to practise accessing

(iii)  killer examples where an important data source is stored in a
database therefore requiring something like SQL knowledge to get access
to the information.

I would also obviously be interested in any general comments regarding
which database issues people think are the most crucial for statistics
students to learn.

Again, apologies if this approach is an imposition.  
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Paul

Dr Paul Murrell
Department of Statistics
The University of Auckland
Auckland
New Zealand