Which of the following is a negative effect of data redundancy?

Data redundancy refers to the unnecessary duplication of data within a database. One significant negative effect of data redundancy is inconsistencies in data. When the same data appears in multiple places, it's possible that updates or changes made to the data in one location are not reflected in others. This can lead to situations where different parts of an organization are working with conflicting information, resulting in poor decision-making and confusion.

For example, if customer information is stored in several different tables and one table is updated with a new phone number while others are not, a user accessing the outdated tables may get incorrect contact information. Data integrity relies on ensuring that data is accurate and consistent across the entire database, but data redundancy can severely undermine this integrity. By avoiding excessive data redundancy, databases are more likely to maintain consistency and reliability, enhancing the overall quality of the data management process.