I often get questions about importing
data to Stata.
After many many years of dealing all kinds of data, here is my conclusion.
It is the most efficient way to convert data.
Don’t do ctrl+C, ctrl+V.
Using Stata’s import function is good but from my experience, StatTransfer gives the best results.
Don’t waste precious hours on checking data or trying to fix errors much later during the analysis.
Other transfer methods, may result in strings being broken or variables being dropped or added. It can create a huge mess, which will surely eat a lot of your time.
Use StatTransfer.
Just buy the software, it will save you many hours and deliver you from pulling your hair out.
It’s a worthy investment. So when transferring data, use StatTransfer.
Pureum's Perspective 