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Web-based tools now
allow a researcher to conduct preliminary analyses online. MEPSnet
provides access to data from both the Household
and Insurance components of MEPS. Following on-line instructions,
the investigator can select a data year and variables of interest
and has the option of re-coding variables and generating statistics
on population subgroups of interest. A selection of descriptive
statistics is available for univariate analyses and n-way tables
for up to three variables. The investigator can generate frequencies
for categorical variables and the minimum, maximum, sum, mean,
median, quartiles, and deciles of continuous variables. The program
can also calculate the ratio of one variable to another. Both
un-weighted and weighted statistics can be requested, as well
as standard errors. Click here
for an example of how to use MEPSnet. Links to survey documentation
and the survey codebook are available.
Researchers who have access to the Inter-university
Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) can analyze
approximately 50 data sets online, including the Longitudinal
Survey on Aging and the National Health Interview Survey, Second
Supplement on Aging. The investigator may browse the codebook,
questionnaire, or other documentation for a given dataset. It
is possible to perform certain statistical procedures on line.
In addition to calculating frequencies and cross-tabulations,
researchers can compare means, create a correlation matrix, and
do ordinary least squares regressions. By specifying variables
and subgroups of interest, a researcher can create a customized
file to be downloaded from the Web site for further analysis.
Using these tools can
help a researcher efficiently assess the feasibility of using
a particular dataset to answer the proposed study question, and
provide the information to assess sample size and conduct power
calculations.
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