Data sources are generally given to the technological connection from a database to a server. This can also be the initial location or position where data or information is born or the location where physical information is first digitized.

In people with disabilities analysis, this may be a database, a flat file, live measurements derived from physical devices, modern scraped web data, or any form of the multitude of static and streaming data services that flourish across the internet.

A more relatable example of a data source is an electronic brand selling products online. To unveil whether the product is out of stock, the website gets the necessary information from an inventory database. The inventory tables are a source of data accessed by a web application that serves the website to customers.

Data Source Nomenclature

This is the name applications use to request a connection to an ODBC source.  Database that remains the most known sources as the primary stores for data in an omnipresent relational database, management systems (RDBMS). In this form of context and collecting the various forms of disabilities affecting people of a certain population, within the destination databases or application as the pointer to the actual data whether it exists locally or from a remote server kind of formality is the Data Source Name (DSN).

This is not necessarily the same as the relevant database name or file name, rather it is an address or label used to easily reach the data at its source. On the other hand, the systems doing the (ingesting) of data determine the context for any discussion around data sources, so definitions and nomenclature vary widely and may at times bring about related complications and confusion. However, the data on disabilities is recorded and sorted according to users’ needs and specifications.

Data Sources Types

While collecting data concerning disabilities amongst people of a certain community, a couple of methods are used. Having that the diversity of content, format, and location of data is only increasing with contributions from technologies such as IoT and the adaptation of big data methodologies, it’s significantly possible to classify most sources into two broad categories namely machine data sources and file data sources.

Machine Sources; These have names defined by users which must reside on the machine that is ingested data and cannot be easily copied or shared amongst other occupants in need.

They provide all the information necessary to connect to data, such as relevant software drivers and their respective driver managers. Thus specifically designed users need to only refer to the DSN as shorthand to call on the connection or question the data.

The connection information is stored in variables, database configuration options, or a location internal to the machine or form of the application being made in use.

A disability data source will contain a server location for accessing the remote DBMS, information about which drivers to use, the certain driver engine, and any other relevant parts of a typical connection string, such as systems and user IDs and authentication.

File Sources; File data sources contain all the necessary connection information inside a single, shareable, computer file ( with a DSN extension). The users do not have the obligation to decide which name is assigned to file sources as these sources are not registered to individual applications, systems, or users, and in fact, do not have a DSN like that of machine data sources. Each file stores a connection string such as system and user IDs authentications.

RSS Feeds Sources; ( Really Simple Syndication) Is an XML-based format for sharing and distributing web content and information, such as news headlines. This in data source, is also a file that contains some or all of a publisher’s latest content and information. These help in staying day-to-day aware of the latest and updated information about a user’s interest information.

Variables in Data Sources

Data variables are any characteristics, numbers, or quantities that can be measured or significantly counted in relation to information from a server to a user’s form of destination. The number of people with disabilities in a specified population is classified and data is stored into specific numbers according to their individual way of disability state, and the number is used to determine what quantity of help, supplies, and medication to offer to them.

Assess Validity in Data Source

Refers to the extent to which an assessment presents all facts of tasks within the domain being assessed. By checking the consistency of results across and within people with disabilities, through different observations. The three types of validity put into practice are:

• content
• predictive
• construct

The above data sources have been approved and historically used in studies and publications of documents addressing people with disabilities across the world.

Challenges in Identifying and Accessing Data Sources

These include;

• Data integration challenges
• Having disparate data formats and sources
• Unavailability of data from its respective sources
• Low-quality or outdated data
• Using the wrong integration software for data