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First Voluntary Support Class Week 7

First Voluntary Support Class Week 7. Tracing and Downloading Datasets George Papaioannou ( gpapaic@essex.ac.uk ). Guide to a Good Dissertation. A Great Project should demonstrate: Economic Knowledge Ability to Process Data Ability to Interpret the findings

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First Voluntary Support Class Week 7

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  1. First Voluntary Support ClassWeek 7 Tracing and Downloading Datasets George Papaioannou(gpapaic@essex.ac.uk)

  2. Guide to a Good Dissertation • A Great Project should demonstrate: • Economic Knowledge • Ability to Process Data • Ability to Interpret the findings • Good Data Processing and Analysis Requires: • Use of Appropriate Datasets • Correct Econometric Techniques and Appropriate Use of Tools (e.g. Stata)…[From Week 8]

  3. 1) Tracing and Downloading Data • Title should point to the correct direction • What is/are the research question(s) to be explained? • Break the research question into: • Cause and Effect >> What causes what? (Dependent and Independent Variables) • What controls should you use to isolate/capture the effect? (Control Variables) • Data Type appropriate for the question (e.g. Time Series, Cross-Sections, Panel) • Having defined and conceptualised the variables you need to Measure: • Will I measure myself? (How Difficult?) • Are there any Existing Datasets I could Use? Data Availability (Most Important) • What is the format of the Data? (Machine Readable e.g. csv, txt, dta) or (Non-Machine Readable e.g. PDF)

  4. Tracing and Downloading (cont.) • Trying to retrieve the Datasets • Download in Correct Format (preferably Stata readable .dtaor .csv, txt) • Check and Understand the Documentation/or Codebook of downloaded datasets (important for econometric consistency and economic interpretation) > Know how each variable is measured, how frequently, limitations • Gather the Data in a Secure Location (a dedicated folder • Keep Back-ups

  5. Words of Caution • Avoid Non-Readable Data Formats at all costs: • Time Consuming (Except if you need to copy by hand only a few rows) • Prone to Errors when copying by hand • Spend adequate time on Looking for the ideal Data Sources/Best Variables: • Precondition to a successful project • FEW missing data • Consistent Measurement (e.g. base years, change in currency of an EU country) • Codebooks

  6. Exercise • Think of your project title • Write down the research question(s) [1 min] • Find: • Write down the important variables (e.g. Dependent, Independent and perhaps some controls) [2 min] • Write down the data type: [1 min] • Time Series? (one unit over time) • Cross Sections (many units but static [a snapshot]) • Cross Sectional Time Series (or panel): [many units across time]

  7. Exercise (cont.) • Under each Variable write a possible Data Source (which repository may provide such variable?): • Start from the Transnational Organisations: • E.g. World Bank, IMF, ECB, Eurostat, ILO • Specialised Data Repositories • E.g. Datascope, Datastream • National Statistical Agencies • E.g. UK Data Service, Data.gov • Think of the problems (non-universal measurement) • Authors • Might be time consuming • Good when replicating/upgrading someone’s work

  8. Exercise (cont.) • Access the Websites of the chosen Data Repositories and Try to detect the required Variables: • Choose adequate format when downloading • Save your workin a secure folder

  9. Homework • Look for the required variables at your free time • Try to collect most of them by next week • If you have any problems downloading you may contact me (email gpapaic@essex.ac.uk) • If you have no idea which variables you may need to use, you should contact your supervisors

  10. Next Week • Merging and using the downloaded datasets in Stata • Setting the optimal Stata conditions for a smooth data analysis experience (memory and directory issues, colours, do files and logs)

  11. Additional Resources • UCLA Resources to learn and use STATA http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata • Introduction to Stata(PDF), Christopher F. Baum, Boston College, USA. “A 67-page description of Stata, its key features and benefits, and other useful information.” http://fmwww.bc.edu/GStat/docs/StataIntro.pdf • STATA FAQ website http://stata.com/support/faqs/ • Recommended Reading: “An Introduction to Modern Econometrics Using Stata”,Christopher F. Baum, 2006 • The ‘Statabible’ (via moodle) • StataYoutubeTutorials:http://www.youtube.com/user/statacorp/videos

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