Abstract: WDI Online has an easy-to-use graphical interface for extracting time series data. The tables it creates open in Excel but are structured in a way not suited for regression. In WDI Online tables, cases (rows) are defined using a combination of country and and series with variables (column headers) being years. Most often for regression the sturcture should be cases (rows) defined by country and year with the variables (column headers) being series.

Using WDI on CD-ROM you are given the option to sturcture the output any way you want. You must come to EDS to use WDI on CD-ROM.

If you do have a data file from WDI Online, here are instructions for how to do the restructuring.

• Reshape a table with one series across many years (Stata reshape command explained within a Excel file)

 

• Reshape a table with many variables across many years (Stata do file with instructions).