џWPCђ  ћџ2кB4J~ Z€|xCourier New (TT)Times New Roman (TT)Arial (TT)єdў6X@ЩDQє@єCє\  PŽ6QєP(єJф2МPБŠQєPћџ2ю? ›Kцьйџєщоphoenixйб#&nў6X@ЩDQ&@#б Statistical dataset formats and file conversion Chris EvansChris EvansџЫ#џћџ2Šь К ŽЦ6Theading 1heading 1OEХХааб#Мgф2МPБŠQМP#бгггUSUKгУ УФ ФгUKUSгггб#&nў6X@ЩDQ&@#бХХDefault Paragraph FoDefault Paragraph Font11б#Xxў6X@ЩDQX@#бггггб#&nў6X@ЩDQ&@#бquoted letterquoted letter аагггUSUKггUKUSгггheaderheaderєъаааа` И hРpШ xа (#џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџмх џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџАмаагггUSUKггUKUSгггаамх џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџ` И hРpШ xа (#џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџмАааћџ26Мfooterfooterєъаааа` И hРpШ xа (#џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџмх џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџАмаагггUSUKггUKUSгггаамх џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџ` И hРpШ xа (#џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџмАааа Х3и' 3и' Я6С& Я6С& Х аа АААN аа ААмм аей Ш йлfooterлаааа` И hРpШ xа (#џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџмх џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџАмаагггUSUKгллащаб#&Jє\  PŽ6Q&P#бChris Evans for the S.G.H.M.S. Information Policy CommitteeСрСDraft 1, и 2/1/5 и й Ш й лfooterлллащааамх џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџм4Œ ф <”ьDœєLЄџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџммааб#&nў6X@ЩDQ&@#бей Ш йлheading 1лХХааб#Мgф2МPБŠQМP#бгггUSUKгУ Уллащааа` И hРpШ xа (#џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџм4Œ ф <”ьDœєLЄџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџАмааззStatistical dataset formats and file conversionззФ Фй Шњ й л heading 1 лллб#&Jє\  PŽ6Q&P#бййФ ФRecommended software includes SAS (in both Windows and Sun versions), SPSSX (ditto, is a Mac version available?), the friendly and simple DOS package Arcus Pro Stat and the excellent public domain program DOS program Epi Info. ХХй њШ й It is possible to transfer data between statistics packages using simple ASCII files which most packages can read and write (or be persuaded to read and write). However, this can lose helpful information such as variable names, labels and formats, value labels and, above all, it can lose crucial missing value labels. Use of dBase III or IV formats for interchange will generally be faster and easier and is often possible using the built in file exchange capabilities of the packages. Unfortunately this will always lose missing value information which will have to be reconstructed manually. Failing to remember this can produce either obviously incorrect results, or, much more seriously, could lead to hours of analyses looking fine but being wrong. The STW program on the network (in the Р РUtilitiesРР section of Artemis) will translate between a number of statistical file formats including a number of quite esoteric ones such as Gauss, and the more obvious minor league such as Systat and Stata. However, its handling of SAS is restricted to version 5 transport files and so is not compatible with current Windows or Sun versions of SAS and the handling of SPSS files is restricted to export files which means native SPSS system files have to be exported by SPSS before being translated by STW. Subject to those limits, this very simple program may save you time translating between formats. Epi Info is also theoretically capable of exporting data in the formats of a number of other statistics packages but can only import ASCII, Lotus 1Љ2Љ3 and dBase formats. The moral is to minimise use of multiple packages and exchanges between formats but to remember to pay particular attention to missing value labelling whenever exchanges have to be made.