Using PSC Extract
PSC Extract is a program that allows a subset of cases and variables to be pulled from a large data set. This means that the user does not have to download and maintain the entire file on a harddrive. It also saves the user the trouble of writing a program to manipulate the hierarchical nature of the data.
PSC Extract works with microdata files - usually from the Census of Population and Housing, but also Current Population files from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Microdata files are individual records - not summary statistics. Microdata allows a user the flexibility to make custom tabulations, recode variables, and model individual behavior. If you are interested in standard statistics, such as the poverty rate for a county or the number of females in the state of Michigan, summary files are probably the better choice. For more information on the difference between tabular data and microdata see "Tabular vs Microdata."
Hierarchical files are the most efficient way to store data. However, they are not easy to use. Thus, the output file from the program will be written in rectangular form.
To analyze the data, you will most likely use a statistical package such as SAS, Stata, or SPSS. If you are unfamiliar with statistical packages, you probably do not want to use Extract.
PSC Extract Web Interface Guide
Related topics and sites
PSC blog
Recent resources, events, news
New Publications
Bingenheimer & Geronimus, "Behavior & HIV"
Wildeman, "Imprisonment & Infant Mortality," PSC Research Report
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