The Stata Journal FAQ
| Title |
|
The Stata Journal FAQ |
| Author |
Stata Technical Support |
| Date |
June 2005; updated January 2013 |
1. Introduction
1.1 What is the Stata Journal?
The Stata Journal is a printed and electronic journal containing
reviewed articles related to Stata together with user-written software additions
to Stata. The Journal is included in
scientific citation
indexes. To receive the Journal, you must subscribe to it.
Accompanying each issue is software that can be installed into Stata. The
software is available for free over the Internet to both subscribers and
nonsubscribers.
1.2 What is the purpose of the Stata Journal?
The Stata Journal is a publication for all Stata users, both novice and
experienced, with various levels of expertise in statistics, research design,
data management, graphics, reporting of results, and of Stata in particular.
A portion of the article "The Stata Journal begins publication fourth
quarter 2001", which appeared in STB-61, May 2001, states
The numerous daily postings on Statalist illustrate very well the readership we
have mind, as those who follow it will appreciate. As with many listservers,
the style and content of Statalist discussions have evolved very much as an
expression of members' interests and expertise. Statalist is centered on, but in
no sense limited to, Stata users. Those members' questions and answers range
back and forth through specifics on using Stata to general questions on data
management, statistical data analysis and modeling, and what is and is not
good practice, statistically, computationally and scientifically. Statalist is
widely appreciated, not just as a relatively rapid and effective way of solving
Stata problems, but also as a source of wisdom on statistical matters in the
widest sense. It is this mix that we seek to emulate, although with more
substantial and more durable contributions, in the Stata Journal.
1.3 What types of articles appear in the Stata Journal?
The Stata Journal publishes reviewed papers together with shorter notes
or comments, regular columns, book reviews, and other material of interest to
Stata users.
Examples of the types of papers include
- Expository papers that link the use of Stata commands or programs to
associated principles, such as those that will serve as tutorials for
those first encountering a new field of statistics or a major new
technique.
- Papers that go "beyond the Stata manual" in explaining key features or
uses of Stata that are of interest to intermediate or advanced users of
Stata.
- Papers that discuss new commands or Stata programs of interest either to
a wide spectrum of users (for example, in data management or graphics) or to
some large segment of Stata users (for example, in survey statistics, survival
analysis, panel analysis, limited dependent variable modeling).
- Papers that analyze the statistical properties of new or existing
estimators and tests in Stata. These may include topics such as
simulations of bias, convergence, or small-sample properties of
estimators and tests; power analyses; comparisons of tests or
estimators.
- Papers of interest or usefulness to researchers, especially in fields
that are of practical importance but not often written up in texts or
other journals, such as the use of Stata in managing datasets,
particularly large datasets, with advice from hard-won experience.
- Papers of interest to those teaching with Stata. Topics might include
extended examples of techniques and interpretation of results,
simulations of statistical concepts, and overviews of subject areas.
Notes and comments
Notes and comments are normally short (about one page or less). Notes may
include, for example, explanation of a neat trick using a few lines of
Stata, which appears to be worth publicizing. Comments refer to material
previously published in the Journal or in the Stata Technical
Bulletin.
Columns
Columns are solicited by the Editors. At present two columns run regularly.
“Mata matters” by William Gould and other guest writers focuses
on the new Mata programming language added in Stata 9. Mata offers users
considerable flexibility and power and further extends the programming of
Stata. For example, the first such column discusses translation of Fortran
programs into Mata.
“Speaking Stata” by Nicholas J. Cox concentrates on the
effective and fluent use of Stata as a language. Advice and detailed
examples cover the commands, devices, habits, tricks, tactics, and
strategies that make problem-solving easier for the Stata user.
Book reviews
Book reviews are solicited by the Editors. Book reviews concentrate on books
about Stata or that contain examples using Stata, but books that may be of
interest or value to many readers may also be reviewed. Suggestions for
book reviews are welcome.
Tips
Stata tips is a series of very concise notes about Stata commands,
features, or tricks that you may not yet have encountered.
A tip will draw attention to useful details in Stata or in the
use of Stata. Tips must be brief, at most two printed pages.
We welcome submissions of tips from readers, or suggestions of tips,
or of kinds of tips, you would like to see.
Software updates
Software updates flag updates (ranging from bug fixes through enhancements to
rewrites) of programs previously published via the Stata Journal (or
the Stata Technical Bulletin). Each update is usually very short
(often a sentence or a paragraph). Further details may be given in the
associated help files distributed electronically. Revisions of programs that
need longer explanations may be submitted as another form of publication, as
already mentioned; in case of doubt please consult the Editors.
We do not publish in the Stata Journal (1) any articles on statistics or
statistical science, however broadly defined, that lack Stata content or
specific application to Stata use, or (2) Stata programs that lack supporting
discussion.
1.4 Who is responsible for the Stata Journal?
The Editors of the Stata Journal are
H. Joseph Newton, Editor
Department of Statistics
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas 77843
USA
979-845-8817
979-845-6077 FAX
editors@stata-journal.com
Nicholas J. Cox, Editor
Geography Department
Durham University
South Road, Durham City DH1 3LE
United Kingdom
44-191-3341863
editors@stata-journal.com
The Associate Editors of the Stata Journal are
Christopher F. Baum, Boston College, USA
Nathaniel Beck, New York University, USA
Rino Bellocco, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, and University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy
Maarten L. Buis, WZB, Berlin, Germany
A. Colin Cameron, University of California–Davis, USA
Mario A. Cleves, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, USA
William D. Dupont, Vanderbilt University, USA
Philip Ender, University of California–Los Angeles, USA
David Epstein, Columbia University, USA
Allan Gregory, Queen's University, Canada
James Hardin, University of South Carolina, USA
Ben Jann, University of Bern, Switzerland
Stephen Jenkins, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK
Ulrich Kohler, University of Potsdam, Germany
Frauke Kreuter, University of Maryland–College Park, USA
Peter A. Lachenbruch, Oregon State University, USA
Jens Lauritsen, Odense University Hospital, Denmark
Stanley Lemeshow, Ohio State University, USA
J. Scott Long, Indiana University, USA
Roger Newson, Imperial College, London, UK
Austin Nichols, Urban Institute, Washington DC, USA
Marcello Pagano, Harvard School of Public Health, USA
Sophia Rabe-Hesketh, University of California–Berkeley, USA
J. Patrick Royston, MRC Clinical Trials Unit, London, UK
Philip Ryan, University of Adelaide, Australia
Mark E. Schaffer, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
Jeroen Weesie, Utrecht University, Netherlands
Ian White, MRC Biostatistics Unit, Cambridge, UK
Nicholas J. G. Winter, University of Virginia, USA
Jeffrey Wooldridge, Michigan State University, USA
The Journal is published by Stata Press, a division of StataCorp LP.
1.5 What is a tag?
Each article, column, note, or comment in the Stata Journal
is assigned a letter-number code, such as st0042, an0034, or ds0012.
A number such as st0042 indicates that this article is number 42 in the st
category.
A number such as st0042_1 indicates that this article, column, note, or
comment is related to the original st0042 article and could have the
same or different authors.
The following category codes are used:
an
dm
ds
gn
gr
pr
st
|
announcements
data management
datasets
general
graphics
programming & utilities
statistics
|
1.6 Suggested citation guidelines
The appropriate citation for an article in the Stata Journal is
-
Author name. Year. Tag. Title.
Stata Journal volume_number: page_range.
For example,
-
Royston, P. 2001. st0001.
Flexible parametric alternatives to the Cox model, and more.
Stata Journal 1: 1–28.
In some cases, it is desirable to abbreviate the name of the Stata
Journal. The official abbreviation is SJ.
2. The Stata Journal publication information
2.1 Does the Stata Journal have an ISSN number?
Yes. The ISSN number for the printed Journal is 1536-867X, and the ISSN
number for the electronic Journal is 1536-8734.
2.2 When is the Journal published?
The Journal is published quarterly:
Jan–Mar
Apr–Jun
Jul–Sep
Oct–Dec
Volume 1 refers to the first year, Volume 2 the second, and so on. Issues are
numbered 1, 2, 3, and 4 within each year. The first issue of the
Journal was published Oct–Dec, 2001, and that issue is numbered
Volume 1, Number 1:
Volume 1 Number 1: 2001 Oct–Dec
Volume 2 Number 1: 2002 Jan–Mar
Volume 2 Number 2: 2002 Apr–Jun
Volume 2 Number 3: 2002 Jul–Sep
Volume 2 Number 4: 2002 Oct–Dec
Volume 3 Number 1: 2003 Jan–Mar
...
2.3 How do I subscribe to the Journal?
Subscriptions may be ordered from
StataCorp
Tel: 1-800-782-8272 (USA)
Tel: 1-800-248-8272 (Canada)
Tel: 1-979-696-4600 (Worldwide)
Fax: 1-979-696-4601
subscriptions@stata-journal.com
Orders may be placed by emailing, calling, faxing, or writing.
An online order form is also available for Journal subscriptions at
http://www.stata.com/bookstore/subscribe-stata-journal/.
Subscription prices are
U.S. and Canada
|
Printed + electronic |
Electronic only |
|---|
| 1-year subscription | $98 | $75 |
| 2-year subscription | $165 | $125 |
| 3-year subscription | $225 | $165 |
| |
| 1-year student subscription | $75 | $45 |
Elsewhere
|
Printed + electronic |
Electronic only |
|---|
| 1-year subscription | $138 | $75 |
| 2-year subscription | $245 | $125 |
| 3-year subscription | $345 | $165
|
| |
| 1-year student subscription | $99 | $45 |
Also see section 1.5 for library and institutional rates.
2.4 How do I obtain past issues?
Past issues may be ordered from
StataCorp
Tel: 1-800-782-8272 (USA)
Tel: 1-800-248-8272 (Canada)
Tel: 1-979-696-4600 (Worldwide)
Fax: 1-979-696-4601
subscriptions@stata-journal.com
Orders may be placed by emailing, calling, faxing, or writing.
Past issues may also be ordered from the Stata Bookstore at
http://www.stata.com/bookstore/order-individual-stata-journal-issues/.
| |
USA and Canada |
Elsewhere |
|
| Printed and electronic copy |
$28.75 |
$35.00 |
| Electronic copy only |
$18.75 |
$18.75 |
|
Electronic copies of individual articles are available at
http://www.stata-journal.com/archives.html. Articles older
than 3 years are free; more recent articles are $8.75.
2.5 Is there a special library or institutional subscription rate?
University libraries and institutions may obtain a 1-year, 2-year, or 3-year printed and
electronic subscription to the SJ at the following prices:
| |
1-year |
2-year |
3-year |
| USA and Canada |
Elsewhere |
USA and Canada |
Elsewhere |
USA and Canada |
Elsewhere |
| University libraries |
$125.00 |
$165.00 |
$215.00 |
$295.00 |
$315.00 |
$435.00 |
| Institutions |
$245.00 |
$285.00 |
$445.00 |
$525.00 |
$645.00 |
$765.00 |
The Stata Journal should be made available to both faculty and
students in accordance with the library’s standard practice.
Institutions should make the SJ available within the institution.
The electronic copy may be posted on a website so long as access to the site
is restricted.
Email
subscriptions@stata-journal.com
for additional details.
2.6 Copyright statement
The Stata Journal and the contents of the supporting files (programs,
datasets, and help files) are copyright © by StataCorp LP. The
contents of the supporting files (programs, datasets, and help files) may be
copied or reproduced by any means whatsoever, in whole or in part, as long
as any copy or reproduction includes attribution to both (1) the author and
(2) the Stata Journal.
The articles appearing in the Stata Journal may be copied or
reproduced as printed copies, in whole or in part, as long as any copy or
reproduction includes attribution to both (1) the author and (2) the
Stata Journal.
Written permission must be obtained from StataCorp if you wish to make
electronic copies of the insertions. This precludes placing electronic
copies of the Stata Journal, in whole or in part, on publicly
accessible websites, fileservers, or other locations where the copy may be
accessed by anyone other than the subscriber.
Users of any of the software, ideas, data, or other materials published in
the Stata Journal or the supporting files understand that such use is made
without warranty of any kind, by either the Stata Journal, the author, or
StataCorp. In particular, there is no warranty of fitness of purpose or
merchantability, nor for special, incidental, or consequential damages such
as loss of profits. The purpose of the Stata Journal is to promote
free communication among Stata users.
The Stata Journal (ISSN 1536-867X) is a publication of Stata Press,
and Stata is a registered trademark of StataCorp LP.
3. Accessing Journal software
If you wanted to install insert st0001 from Volume 1, Number 1, you could use
the net
command:
. net from http://www.stata-journal.com/software
. net cd sj1-1
. net describe st0001
. net install st0001
or you could
- Pull down Help and select SJ and User-written Programs.
- Click on Stata Journal
- Click on sj11-1.
- Click on dm0053.
- Click on click here to install.
See [U] 17.6 How do I install an addition? and [U]
28 Using the Internet to keep up to date.
4. The Stata Journal history
4.1 What is the STB?
The STB—the Stata Technical Bulletin—is the
predecessor of the Stata Journal. It was published six times per year
between May 1991 and May 2001.
For ten years, the STB served as a means of distributing new commands and
Stata updates, both user-written and “official”. When the STB
began, there was no Internet or, at least, no Internet that was used to
distribute software and updates, and the STB fulfilled this need. Users
back then subscribed to the STB with diskettes, and these diskettes
contained the updates.
More recently, the growth of the Internet along with the growth in both the
number and the diversity of Stata users led and forced the editors gradually
to introduce changes in the STB. In particular, the Internet,
Stata’s website, and the Statalist
listserver allowed instant communication among users, and moreover,
improvements to Stata software actually allowed it to search the Internet
for desired statistical capabilities—whether written by StataCorp or
by users—and instantly to install what it finds.
The result was that over its last five years, STB
“inserts” became less announcements and short articles
describing user-written programs and became more longer articles describing
complicated programs as well as more general articles about how Stata can be
used to analyze interesting datasets.
When the STB began, timeliness was of primary importance. Nowadays, printed
matter cannot compete with the Internet in that respect; however, printed
material is more considered, more substantial, and more trustworthy, and
thus, the editors came to the conclusion that a new vehicle needed to be
created, the Stata Journal. The editors decided that the
Journal should be printed less often (4 times per year rather than
6), thus allowing them more time to have articles reviewed and making the
articles even more considered, substantial, and trustworthy. They also knew
that they wanted to change the emphasis of the articles. Programs with
documentation will always be welcome, but we believe that users want and
need more expository articles, expository articles about statistics and
using Stata, rather than about Stata.
4.2 Past editors
Remember, the predecessor of the Stata Journal is the STB. The past
editors of the STB were
-
- Joseph Hilbe, Arizona State University
- May 1991 through March 1993 (STB-1 through STB-12)
-
- Sean Becketti
- May 1993 through March 1996 (STB-13 through STB-30)
-
- H. Joseph Newton, Texas A&M University
- May 1996 through May 2001 (STB-31 through STB-61)
4.3 STB/SJ issues and Stata releases
-
- Stata 12
- SJ vol. 11 no. 3 through current, Jul–Sep 2011 through today
-
- Stata 11
- SJ vol. 9 no. 3 through SJ vol. 11 no. 2, Jul–Sep 2009 through Apr–Jun 2011
-
- Stata 10
- SJ vol. 7 no. 2 through SJ vol. 9 no. 2, Apr–Jun 2007 through Apr–Jun 2009
-
- Stata 9
- SJ vol. 5 no. 2 through SJ vol. 7 no. 1, Apr–Jun 2005 through Jan–Mar 2007
-
- Stata 8
- SJ vol. 3 no. 1 through SJ vol. 5 no. 1, Jan–Mar 2003 through Jan–Mar 2005
-
- Stata 7
- SJ vol. 1 no. 1 through SJ vol. 2 no. 4, Oct–Dec 2001 through Oct–Dec 2002
STB-60 through STB-61, March 2001 through May 2001
-
- Stata 6.0
- STB-48 through STB-59, March 1999 through January 2001
-
- Stata 5.0
- STB-34 through STB-47, November 1996 through January 1999
-
- Stata 4.0
- STB-24 through STB-33, March 1995 through September 1996
-
- Stata 3.0
- STB-15 through STB-23, September 1993 through January 1995
-
- Stata 2.1
- STB-7 through STB-14, May 1992 through July 1993
-
- Stata 2.05
- STB-4 through STB-6, November 1991 through March 1992
-
- Stata 2.0
- STB-1 through STB-3, May 1991 through September 1991
-
5. Submission guidelines for authors
Submission information is located at
www.stata-journal.com/submissions.html.
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