What does it mean for a database to be "normalized"?

When a database is said to be "normalized," it refers to the process of structuring the data within the database to reduce redundancy and improve data integrity. Normalization involves organizing the tables and their relationships in a way that ensures that data is stored logically. This is typically achieved through a series of rules or normal forms that a database schema can follow.

By minimizing duplicate data, normalization helps to ensure that any data changes (insertions, updates, deletions) occur in a consistent manner without introducing anomalies. For example, if a piece of information is stored in multiple places and needs to be updated, it becomes challenging to ensure that all copies are updated simultaneously without error. Normalization mitigates this risk by encouraging a structure where data is stored only once, linked through appropriate foreign keys across different tables.

Consequently, option B accurately captures the essence of normalization, highlighting its primary goal of safeguarding data integrity while minimizing redundancy—crucial for maintaining accurate and reliable datasets in a relational database.