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Re: st: RE: xttobit initial value not feasible
I like the last advice. In my experience the random-effects pooled
time-series estimators are much more sensitive to data problems than
a purely cross-sectional estimator such as Tobit probably because the
default random-effects estimation method is based on a mvaghermite approach.
If you get reasonable Tobit (rather than xttobit) results, try
clustering on the panel identifier. Perhaps (?? a bit of a long
shot) that correction may even be sufficient for referees in your discipline.
The count estimators someone suggests, of course, involve different
assumptions about the distribution of your dependent variable, but
xtpoisson or xt negative binomial can be estimated with an xtgee
approach, which again I find to be far more robust to data problems
than the random-effects count model alternatives. And if you really
have too many zeros (which I also doubt), you can estimate such count
models with a two equation zip or zinb approach and again correct the
panel standard errors by clustering on your panel identifier (Stata
as yet doesn't offer pooled time-series zip or zinb estimators, but
LImdep does).
But if you are an economist, do check with an econometrician first.
Dave Jacobs
PS. Sorry for the clutter. I mistakenly sent this message under the
wrong header.
At 02:24 PM 4/14/2008, you wrote:
Nick,
Thanks so much for your reply again. you are right that 2/3 firms do
not export anything in my data, i.e. their export intensity is zero.
export intensity is measued as the ratio of exports and total sales.
Many existing literature on determinants of export intensity use
Tobit, I understand a reason is that they treat export intensity as a
censored variable. I read somewhere that for a variable like this,
i.e. with over half of the observation as zero, Tobit model is more
appropriate than xtreg or xtabond2. Is that right? Thanks a lot.
Sarah
On Mon, Apr 14, 2008 at 6:48 PM, Nick Cox <[email protected]> wrote:
> My point had I think nothing to do with censoring, but with the geometry
> of what you are
> asking Stata to do.
>
> Please appreciate that I don't know anything about your data, nor
> I am an economist.
>
> If I see that 2/3 of firms have zero "export intensity", then unless
> intensity
> has some special meaning, I infer from that that 2/3 firms do not export
> anything -- at least
> in the data period.
>
> sarah young
>
>
> Thanks for the response. I am just starting to learn econometrics. I
> thought that for a variable with over half of the observations are
> zero, like export intensity in my model, the variable could be treated
> as a censored variable. Or probably I am wrong?
>
> I have used xtreg and xtabond2 to estimate the model and they performed
> well.
>
>
>
> On Mon, Apr 14, 2008 at 5:31 PM, Nick Cox <[email protected]> wrote:
> > Consider a standard regression of your response (call it y) on any two
> > predictors.
> > Then a simplified analogue of your problem is that two-thirds of your
> > data lie on
> > the plane y = 0 and the other third lies on one side of that plane.
> > Geometrically that sounds
> > a pretty awkward situation to model. Having more predictors and using
> > tobit don't I think
> > make it any easier.
> >
> > There is no positive suggestion embedded here, just a thought that the
> > message doesn't sound that
> > surprising in such a light.
> >
> > Nick
> > [email protected]
> >
> > sarah young
> >
> > I have been trying to run xttobit without success. The problem is
> > "initial value not feasible".
> >
> > I have a panel of more than 4000 firms for 15 years, which altoghther
> > is about 62,000 firm-year observations. The dependent variable is
> > export intensity, two thirds of which are zeros. So I chose to use
> > Tobit model. The model is on the determinants of export intensity,
> > theoretically the choosing of the independent variables is fine, which
> > include TFP, age, size, R&D intensity etc, as well as year and
> > industry dummies. I have tried by using different sets of independent
> > variables, for example, including only one variable on the right side,
> > excluding year and industry dummies, all of these not working and the
> > message was the same, "initial value not feasible."
> >
> > I have searched on Statalist archive and found this thread:
> > http://www.stata.com/statalist/archive/2007-05/msg01036.html
> >
> > I tried to solve the problem according to the suggestions in the
> > thread but still it is not working. Could anyone give some advice?
> > What are the possible problems behind this? How to solve them?
>
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