ECO 725-01: Data Methods in Economics
Fall 2013
Chris Swann
467 Bryan Building
email: chris_swann@uncg.edu
Course meeting time: MW 930-1045
Location: Bryan 211
Office Hours: Open Door or By Appt.
GA: Will Parish – office hours TBA
Description
Econ 725 is a three-credit course in which students learn to work with large data sets
using the SAS programming language. In this course we will explore how to manipulate
data (including reading, writing, and combining data files), how to prepare data for
research purposes (including variable construction, sample selection, and issues related to
missing data), and how to conduct basic data analysis.
Student Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, students will have:
1) learned practical procedures for working with data;
2) learned the basics of the SAS programming language; and
3) conducted descriptive economic research with a large data set.
Procedures
ECO 725 will meet twice per week from 1100 to 1215 on Monday and Wednesday for
the entire semester. We will typically meet in Bryan 211 though some days we may meet
in Bryan 456. The school prohibits food and drink from the computer classrooms.
Students are expected to follow the classroom discussion and exercises and to refrain
from other activities, such as web-surfing, e-mailing, and game-playing, during class.
Your grade will be determined by a series of homework assignments (30% of grade), a
midterm (30% of grade) and a final project (40% of grade). Please note that assignments
must be turned in when they are due. Late assignments will not receive any credit, unless
prior arrangements have been made with the instructor.
In addition to these responsibilities, students are expected to conform to the University’s
Student Code of Conduct (http://studentconduct.uncg.edu/). The instructor and students
will also conform to the Bryan School’s Faculty and Student Guidelines
(http://www.uncg.edu/bae/faculty_student_guidelines_sp07.pdf).
Software
The primary software package for this class will be SAS. SAS is installed in the UNCG
computer labs. SAS licenses for personal computers are available for UNCG students
through ITS. To begin the license process, connect to https://web.uncg.edu/researchaccess/secure/sas/sas.asp. We may also occasionally use Stata and Excel.
Required Text
Delwiche, Lora D. and Susan J. Slaughter, The Little SAS® Book: A Primer, Fourth
Edition, Cary, NC: SAS Institute Inc., 2008. (LSB below)
I believe the fifth edition is available.
Recommended Texts
DiIorio, Frank C., SAS Applications Programming: A Gentle Introduction, Duxbury
Press, 1991. (D below)
SAS Publishing, SAS® Certification Prep Guide: Base Programming for SAS 9, Second
Edition, Cary, NC: SAS Institute Inc., 2009.
SAS Certification
A number of levels of SAS Certification are available. To become certified with the SAS
Basic Programmer for SAS 9 credential, you must pass a exam that covers many of the
areas of programming that we will use. Information on Basic Programmer certification is
available at http://support.sas.com/certify/creds/bp.html. Because of the overlap in
coverage, you are encouraged to consider studying for and taking this exam. Note,
however, that this is not a test prep class, and we will cover some topics in more detail
than may be necessary for the exam while others included on the exam may not be
covered at all.
Research Integrity
Students are expected to be familiar with and abide by the University’s Academic
Integrity policy (see http://academicintegrity.uncg.edu/). In particular, students may be
expected to work independently on homework assignments. In those cases, students may
discuss general data and programming approaches among themselves. However, they
should not discuss specifics of their programs. Assistance will be available from the
instructor and teaching assistant.
Tentative Outline
Date
August 20
August 22
August 27
August 29
Sept 3
Sept 5
Sept 10
Sept 12
Sept 17
Sept 19
Sept 24
Sept 26
Topic
Intro to Data Analysis
Intro to SAS Interface and
Example
SAS Language
Mechanics of The Data Step
Debugging the Data Step
Reading Data Into SAS;
Temporary and Permanent Data
Sets
Output Delivery System
Variable Construction
Character, date, and time
Variables
Summarizing and Graphing Data
Reading
LSB: Chapter 1
D: Chapters 2 and 3
LSB, 3.1 to 3.10 and 6.9
to 6.15
LSB, Chapter 10
LSB: Chapter 2
D: Chapter 4, Chapter
10, 11.6, 19.6
LSB: Chapter 5
LSB: Chapter 3
D: Chapter 7
D: Chapter 8
Collect Homework 1
Hand Out Homework 2
Collect Homework 2
Hand Out Homework 3
Collect Homework 3
Hand Out Homework 4
Oct 3
Linear and Logistic Regression
Oct 8
Oct 10
Oct 17
Oct 22
Oct 24
Missing Data
Outliers
Midterm
Loops and Arrays
“Longitudinal” Data
Oct 29
Combining Data Sets
Oct 31
Nov 5
Getting Data Out of SAS
Advanced Estimation – probit,
selection models, ordered
models, and panel data
Macros
Nov 12
Nov 14
Nov 19
Nov 21
Nov 26
TBA
Hand Out Homework 1
LSB: Chapter 4, 8.18.13
D: Chapters 5 and 6
Oct 1
Nov 7
Assignment
PROC SQL
D: Chapter 23
LSB: 8.14-8.15
Collect Homework 4
Hand Out Homework 5
LSB 3.11
LSB: 6.15,
D: 19.1-19.2
LSB: Chapter 6.1 to 6.8
D: Chapter 13
LSB: Chapter 9
Collect Homework 5
Hand Out Homework 6
LSB: Chapter 7
Collect Homework 6
Hand Out Homework 7
TBA
Collect Homework 7
Final Project Due