Using Stata® for Quantitative Analysis
Third Edition
For my boys, Harrison and Hayes
Using Stata® for Quantitative Analysis
Third Edition
Kyle C. Longest
Furman University
Copyright © 2020 by SAGE Publications, Inc.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Longest, Kyle C., author.
Title: Using Stata for quantitative analysis / Kyle C. Longest, Furman University.
Description: Third Edition. | Thousand Oaks : SAGE Publications, Inc., Corwin, CQ Press, [2019] | Revised edition of the author’s Using Stata for quantitative analysis, [2015] | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018042907 | ISBN 9781544318523 (pbk. : alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Stata. | Social sciences—Graphic methods—Computer programs. | Social sciences—Statistical methods—Computer programs.
Classification: LCC HA32 .L66 2019 | DDC 005.5/5—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018042907
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Preface
Motivation and Purpose
The motivation for this book came from a series of personal experiences. First, as a graduate student, I remember literally lying awake at night dreading the idea of using a computer program to conduct statistical analyses. The first statistics course I took required Stata to complete the assignments and the final research project. This necessity was so overwhelming at the time, in part, because there did not seem to be any straightforward, concise texts explaining the basics of Stata. During my time in graduate school, I came to be very familiar with Stata, even to the point that I developed a serious passion for both learning Stata and teaching it to students who were facing the same fears I once did. When I first began teaching a course on quantitative analysis, I was hoping to use Stata as a significant portion of the classroom experience and requirements. Yet in a somewhat mirrored experience from when I was a student, I soon realized that there still was not a manageable introductory text on the use of Stata for quantitative research.1 Thus, I sought to contribute to filling this void by providing a straightforward, applied introduction to using Stata.
1 Assuredly, there are several very good and effective texts on learning Stata. Virtually all of these, however, are aimed at experienced users or are so detailed and long that they are not helpful for a typical classroom in which teaching Stata is not the primary purpose.
This book will be most beneficial to readers who are novices when it comes to Stata but are at least in the early stages of learning strategies for conducting quantitative analysis. It does assume that the reader has a working knowledge of basic statistical techniques and terminology. The organization and coverage of the book is guided by the content and ordering of topics found in most introductory social statistics textbooks. In this manner, it can serve as an excellent companion, for either a class or a self-learner, to such a textbook.
To be clear, this book should not be used to learn statistics or quantitative analysis. Some basic assumptions and explanations are provided, but these should not be used in place of a more thorough coverage of each of the analytic strategies. The statistical grounding for this book is based primarily on Frankfort-Nachmias and Leon-Guerrero’s Social Statistics for a Diverse Society (2010). The definitions and interpretations of the specific measures and tests are based on those presented in this text. Of course, any inaccuracies or mistakes are solely mine.
Also, this book does not attempt to cover every aspect of each Stata command that is introduced. More experienced users undoubtedly know shortcuts or alternative methods for the techniques that are presented. The given description has been geared to introduce complete novice users to Stata. This targeted audience requires that the explanation start with the basics before jumping
