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Stata: Working with Variables

Other Stata Resources

A Gentle Introduction to Stata, Fifth Edition by Alan C. Acock
Location: Bates Reference HA32 .A26 2016
Published: 2016
The Stata Survival Manual by Pevalin and Robson
An introduction to Stata.

Stata Quick Guide
Cheat sheet for frequently used Stata commands.

UCLA Stats Consulting Group
Useful tutorials on Stata and other stats software.
What statistical analysis should I use?
Guide from UCLA Stats Consulting, with chart of tests by number and type of independent and dependent variables.
Resources for Learning Stata
List of educational resources compiled by the Stata Corp.
ICPSR Setup Files for Stata
How to load ICPSR data into Stata.

Data packages

import fred
Menu for importing data from FRED. An API key can be requested.
World Bank wbopendata
App for importing over 3,000 series of indicators from the World Bank databases directly into Stata.

String variables

These pesky variables are red in the Data Editor window. Because they are text rather than numeric, they don't play well with most statistical tests.

encode
encode varname, generate(newvar) will convert a categorical string variable into a numeric one with labels.
destring
destring varlist, generate(newvarlist) is what you want when your string really is a number (often happens when you import data with dollar signs or NA values).

Dummy Variables

Stata FAQ: How do I create dummy variables?
To create dummy variables from variable group, you may use tab group, gen(g), or use a factor variable, e.g. regress x y i.group
Dummy Variables - International Encyclopedia of Statistical Science
A little bit about what dummy variables are for.
Using Dummy Variables - Princeton DSS
Why you shouldn't be alarmed if one of your dummy variables disappears.

Weights

Stata Help: Weights
Most Stata commands can include your weight variable. This help page provides some examples.
What Are We Weighting For?
Working paper discussing whether to use weights in an analysis.

Adjusting for Inflation

cpigen
Install using "ssc install cpigen." Adds a consumer price index variable to your dataset.
Consumer Price Indexes (FRED)
If cpigen doesn't have the years or series that you want, you can also get CPI data from FRED. Either download from the FRED site or go to File > Import > Federal Reserve Economic Data, and search for CPIAUCSL.

Time Series and Panel Data

Time Series in Stata (PDF)
tsset Help
Before using a time series analysis, tsset tells Stata how your time variable is stored.
Panel Data in Stata
Includes introduction to fixed and random effects.
xtreg Help
xtreg is used for regression with panel data.

Updated: Oct 3, 2022 12:14 PM
URL: https://libguides.bates.edu/stata
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Subjects: Economics

Tags: data, how to, stata, statistics