Which method is used to access data on external devices?

The correct answer is based on the concept of accessing data from external devices, which encompasses various types of hardware such as hard drives, USB drives, and databases. The term "access methods" specifically refers to the techniques and protocols that allow a program to read from and write to external storage or devices. These methods outline how data can be retrieved, updated, or deleted, making them fundamental for interacting with external data sources.

Other options relate to different aspects of data handling. For example, data manipulation methods involve the operations that can be performed on data once it is accessed—like sorting, querying, or transforming data—but not the act of accessing it. Processing methods refer to how data is processed or transformed after being accessed, and storage methods focus on how data is physically stored either in memory or on disk. Therefore, understanding access methods is crucial for effectively retrieving data from external sources.