Modelling & training > Econometrics training > Econometrics software
Econometrics training service
Through its research and consultancy work, Cambridge Econometrics uses a variety of econometric packages to manage data, estimate equations, and solve models. This page provides a brief description of some of these software, together with links for obtaining more information.
EViews
EViews provides sophisticated data analysis, regression, and forecasting tools on Windows based computers. With EViews you can quickly develop a statistical relation from your data and then use the relation to forecast future values of the data.
EViews is both powerful and intuitive. A wide range of statistical and graphical techniques are made available removing the need for users to memorise complicated command syntax or navigate layers and layers of menus. The solution is an innovative object-oriented user interface.
EViews is built around the concept of objects. Series, equations, and systems are just a few examples of objects. Each object has its own window, its own menus, its own procedures, and its own views of its data. Most statistical procedures are simply alternative views of the object. For example, a simple menu choice from a series window changes the display between a spreadsheet, line and bar graphs, a histogram-and-statistics view, a correlogram, and a unit root test.
Similarly, an equation window allows you to switch between a display of the equation specification, basic estimation results, the coefficient covariance matrix, graphics depicting the actual, fitted, and residual values for the dependent variable, tables, forecast graphs and evaluations, and more than a dozen diagnostic and hypothesis tests.
You can cut-and-paste any of these views into your favorite word processor with a simple menu selection. And it's just as easy to exchange data and results with your spreadsheet and database programs. EViews directly reads and writes an extensive list of data formats, including Excel, ASCII/Text, SAS, Stata, SPSS, RATS, Html, Access, Binary, ODBC Databases, ODBC queries, and many others. To open most data files you can simply drag-and-drop them onto EViews.
Learn more about EViews
Stata
Stata is a complete, integrated statistical package for data analysis, data management, and graphics that is widely used by econometricians in academia, the public sector and private practice. Stata is comprehensive in its coverage of statistical techniques and methods, making even the most powerful statistical techniques easy to use. Stata can be driven through either the point-and-click interface or the powerful scripting language which allows the user to automate analysis. Data can be imported from a range of sources and results and graphs can subsequently be exported for use in reporting.
Learn more about Stata
Microfit
Microfit is an interactive econometric software package, designed specifically for the econometric modelling of time series data, devised by Prof Hashem Pesaran and Bahram Pesaran. It is suitable for classroom teaching of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in applied econometrics. It has powerful features for data processing, file management, graphic display, estimation, hypothesis testing, and forecasting under a variety of univariate and multivariate model specifications.
Output from Microfit can be sent directly to a printer, saved in a disk file to be printed subsequently, or used in a text file as part of a printed report. Microfit accepts comma delimited files (CSV), text (TXT), and AREMOS (TSD) files. It also allows extension, revision, and merging of data files. Small data sets can also be pasted into Microfit from the clipboard. Data on Microfit's workspace can be exported to spreadsheet packages in CSV and TSD formats. Other software in the operating system can be accessed easily. For routine and repetitive data processing tasks, Microfit employs commands close to conventional algebraic notation.
The strength of the package lies in the fact that it can be used at different levels of technical sophistication. For experienced users of econometric programs it offers a variety of univariate and multivariate estimation methods, and provides a large number of diagnostic and non-nested tests not readily available on other packages. The interaction of excellent graphics and estimation capabilities in Microfit allows important econometric research to be carried out in a matter of days rather than weeks.
Microfit can be ordered directly from Oxford University Press, or through Cambridge Econometrics, which also offers telephone support as part of the purchase price.
Learn more about Microfit from the authors' website
Ox An Object-Oriented Matrix Programming Language
Ox is an object-oriented matrix programming language, devised by Jurgen Doornik. It is an important tool for statistical and econometric programming with a syntax similar to C++ and a comprehensive range of commands for matrix and statistical operations.
Ox runs faster than other similar programs and can read and write spreadsheet and PcGive file formats. Ox uses the OxMetrics interface to produce publication quality graphics and reports.
New estimation techniques and Monte Carlo experiments can be implemented easily and efficiently in Ox. Application procedures for dynamic econometric modelling (such as vector autoregressions and cointegration analysis) are included. Packages for fractionally integrated, state space, dynamic panel data and stochastic volatility models are available for use with Ox. Additional packages are under development.
Learn more about Ox from the author's website.
Ox functions library
For further information, email:
Rachel Beaven
Director