What is a dataset

A dataset is a group of records. Each dataset can be specifically defined to store and manage individual records. Datasets store data without sharing it with other datasets. For example, a school may have a dataset for students and another dataset for staff. This will give the user the ability to separate the student’s information from the staff information.  

They are particularly useful when you want information to be segregated, or when the two groups of records require different fields.  Using the same school example, the fields for a student dataset might include information like name, grade & student ID number.  The fields for staff might be name, faculty ID, & department.  

These two could be combined into the same dataset as well, leaving department blank on records that belong to students and student ID blank on records that belong to staff.  Either method works, but in a given application you might find one way or the other easier to manage.