Introduction to SOEP
The Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) is a longitudinal survey from Germany. It provides rich demographic, economic, and social data collected annually since 1984.
Accessing SOEP Data
Accessing SOEP requires registration due to data protection regulations. Researchers must submit a project description to ensure the data is used responsibly.
Data Structure Overview
SOEP data is hierarchical, including household and individual levels. It spans multiple datasets with different focuses, such as employment, health, and education.
Prepare Data in Stata
In Stata, use 'merge' to combine SOEP datasets. Pay attention to keys like household and person identifiers to match records correctly.
Generate Longitudinal Data
Create panel data by using 'xtset' with unique identifiers. This enables 'xt' commands for longitudinal analysis, tracking changes over time.
Advanced SOEP Features
SOEP includes weights for representative analysis. Use 'svyset' to incorporate these weights and produce more accurate estimates.
Exporting and Sharing Results
Use 'outsheet' to export Stata results. Remember to follow SOEP's data sharing rules; typically, only aggregated results are shareable.