Re: st: Creating Dummys from a variable with 5 categories

["JVerkuilen (Gmail)" <jvverkuilen@gmail.com>]

Your question isn't quite specified to be answerable but here's a
quick way to make a dummy variable that has value 1 for flat fee and 0
for any other value of myvar:

     generate flatfee = 1
     replace flatfee = 0 if myvar != 1

What this syntax does is (a) make a variable flatfee that has 1
everywhere and (b) change all values for which myvar does not indicate
a flat fee to 0. You could also

     generate flatfee = 0
     replace flatfee = 1 if myvar = 1

which is the opposite process, as it changes the 0s to 1s where flat
fee is applicable. This seems more natural than coding flat fee the 0
and all other methods 1, but if you want the other way around

     generate nonflatfee = 1 - flatfee

Try these and then check your work by

     tabulate flatfee myvar

which is always a good idea whenever you're recoding variables. You
should see a 2x5 table that has the counts all in the right place.


On Sun, Dec 2, 2012 at 3:27 AM, Sharon Brody <brodysharon@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> Hi
>
> I have a variable with 5 answers and need to make a dummy variable from it
>
> The question asked - How are you charged for your waste:
> 1. Flat Fee
> 2. Weight or Volume
> 3. Frequency
> 4. Not Charged
> 5. Dont Know
>
> If I want to create a dummy variable that uses Flat Fee as a reference point
>
> 1. How do I create a dummy (I have tried the basic way - gen XXXX =1 replace XXXX=0 if YYYY=>2) but I believe this is incorrect as it doesnt incorporate all the variables.
>
> 2. How do I get Stata 12 to use "Flat Fee" as the reference base point
>
> I am a beginner to statistics so please use simple terminology. Thank You
>
> Sharon
>
> *
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-- 
JVVerkuilen, PhD
jvverkuilen@gmail.com

"Thus the typical citizen drops down to a lower level of mental
performance as soon as he enters the political field. He argues and
analyzes in a way which he would readily recognize as infantile within
the sphere of his real interests. He becomes a primitive again. His
thinking becomes associative and affective."  ---Joseph A. Schumpeter,
Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy, 1950, p. 262.
*
*   For searches and help try:
*   http://www.stata.com/help.cgi?search
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*   http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/