Preparing ICPSR Data for Use with Stata
(by Özlem Elgün)

Most of the time, the datasets that the ICPSR makes available for download need at least some processing from users before they are in an electronic format that is usable with statistical packages. Fortunately for Stata users, a small but growing number of studies in the ICPSR's holdings have either either syntax files to read the raw data into Stata or "system" files that Stata can read directly. [Note that even if there are no Stata files available for a study, it is still generally possible to get data into SAS or SPSS and use StatTransfer to covert the resulting file(s) into Stata.]

This tutorial is designed for users who want to use ICPSR data in Stata. For the purposes of this guide, we will be using ICPSR #4262 as an example. The title of this study is Afrobarometer: Round I Survey of Malawi, November-December 1999. The tutorial is in two sections - one is for working with Stata syntax files to read raw ASCII data into Stata, while the other is for working with Stata "system" files.

Converting ICPSR Data in ASCII Format into Stata Data Files

Downloading ICPSR Stata "System" Files

This guide is not an exhaustive review of how to get data from the ICPSR into Stata. It is more a general introduction using a relatively representative ICPSR study as an example. As you work with more ICPSR data files, you are likely to encounter a fair amount of variation in the Stata syntax files. If you want additional assistance, please feel free to contact the Data Center staff.

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