Overview: Why use Stata?

Stata 11 is a complete statistical software package for managing, graphing and analyzing data. It is easy to learn through the extensive graphical interface yet is completely programmable for the most demanding data management and statistical requirements.

Stata 11 adds many new features such as multiple imputation, generalized method of moments (GMM), factor variables, state-space modeling, competing-risks regression, predictive margins, a Variables Manager, and more. Find out more abour what's new in Stata 11.

Stata is fast, accurate, and easy to use

Stata's point-and-click interface, intuitive command syntax, and online help, makes Stata easy to use, fast, and accurate. All analyses can be reproduced and documented for publication and review.

Stata includes a broad suite of statistical capabilities

Stata puts hundreds of statistical tools at your fingertips, from advanced techniques, such as survival models with frailty, dynamic panel data (DPD) regressions, multilevel mixed models, generalized estimating equations (GEE), ARCH, models with sample selection, and estimation with complex survey samples; to standard methods, such as linear and generalised linear models (GLM), regressions with count or binary outcomes, case-control analysis, ARIMA, ANOVA/MANOVA, standardization of rates, cluster analysis, and basic tabulations and summary statistics.

Stata has complete data-management facilities

Stata's data-management commands give you complete control of all types of data: datasets can be combined and reshaped, variables managed, and statistics collected across groups or replicates. It is possible to work with byte, integer, double, long, float, and string variables. Stata software also has advanced tools for managing specialised data such as time-series data, survival/duration data, categorical data, panel/longitudinal data and survey data.

Stata creates Publication-quality graphics

With Stata it is easy to generate publication-quality, distinctly styled graphs, including regression fit graphs, time-series graphs, distributional plots, and survival plots. With the integrated Graph Editor it is possible to change anything about your graph or to add titles, arrows, notes, lines and text with a click or two.

Stata is responsive and extensible

Because Stata is programmable new features are added by developers and users every day to respond to the growing demands of today's researchers. These new features and official updates can be installed over the Internet with a single click using Stata's Internet capabilities. Many new features and informative articles are published quarterly in the refereed Stata Journal. Another great resource is Statalist, an independent listserver where more than 3,200 Stata users exchange over 1,000 postings and 50 programs each month.

Stata allows matrix programming—Mata

Though you don't need to program to use Stata, it is comforting to know that a fast and complete matrix programming language is an integral part of the Stata software. Mata is both an interactive environment for manipulating matrices and a full development environment that can produce compiled and optimized code. It includes special features for processing panel data, performs operations on real or complex matrices, and is fully integrated with every aspect of Stata.

Stata is cross-platform compatible

Stata is available for all the major operating system platforms including Windows, Macintosh, and Unix computers (including Linux). Stata datasets, programs, and other data can be shared across platforms without translation. You can also quickly and easily import datasets from other statistical packages, spreadsheets and databases.

Complete documentation and other publications

Stata comes with 19 volumes of documentation containing more than 8,400 pages of information that includes calculation formulas, detailed examples, and references to the literature. The documentation comes in PDF form with every copy of Stata and printed volumes are available either separately or as a set. Our web site is a great resource for information about Stata, including answers to frequently asked questions.

You can read informative articles about statistics and new Stata features in the quarterly Stata Journal. The Stata News is a quarterly publication containing announcements of new releases and updates, training schedules, new books, conferences and Users Group meetings, new products, and other announcements of interest to Stata users. Stata Press also publishes books about using Stata and about statistical topics for professional researchers of all disciplines.

Stata comes with technical support

Excellent technical support is free to registered users of Stata software.