What does the term “normalization” in databases signify?

Normalization in databases refers to a systematic approach to organizing data in order to reduce redundancy and improve data integrity. The process involves structuring tables and relationships in such a way that each piece of data is stored only once, which minimizes duplicate data entries and ensures that the data is logically ordered.

By organizing data through normalization, databases become more efficient and manageable, which simplifies data retrieval and updates. This process can involve dividing larger tables into smaller, related tables and defining relationships between them through foreign keys. As a result, the integrity of the database is enhanced since changes to data occur in a single location, thereby reducing potential inconsistencies that might arise if the same piece of information were stored in multiple locations.

Overall, normalization is a crucial practice in database design as it helps maintain accurate and efficient data management systems.