findsj

One-click access to Stata Journal articles and their companion packages

English | 中文文档

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🎯 Problem Solved

The Pain Point:
The Stata Journal website does not provide direct download links to companion software packages (ado files or Stata programs) alongside published articles. Researchers must:

1. Read the article to find the package name
2. Manually search for the package using findit or ssc
3. Hope the package is still available and properly indexed

Our Solution:
findsj provides instant, clickable access to both articles AND their companion packages from a single search, saving you time and frustration.

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✨ Key Features

• 🔍 Unified Search: Search 1,255 Stata Journal articles by keyword, author, or title
• 📦 Direct Package Access: One-click installation links for companion packages
• 📄 Citation Management: Download BibTeX/RIS files for all your references
• 🌐 Multi-Platform: Works seamlessly on Windows and Mac
• ⚡ Fast & Local: Built-in database for instant offline search
• 🔗 Rich Integration: Links to PDF, Google Scholar, and article pages

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📸 Quick Examples

Example 1: Find panel data methods and install packages

. findsj panel, n(3)
  Searching ... Showing 3 of 103 articles
[1] Weighted-average least squares:  Beyond the classical linear regression model
    G. De Luca and J. R. Magnus. (2025). Stata Journal 25(4)
    Web | PDF | Google | Install | Ref | BibTeX | RIS
[2] Testing for slope heterogeneity bias in the fixed-effects estimator
    J. Alejo, A. F. Galvao, and G. Montes-Rojas. (2025). Stata Journal 25(4)
    Web | PDF | Google | Install | Ref | BibTeX | RIS
[3] Testing and estimating structural breaks in time series and panel data in Stata
    J. Ditzen, Y. Karavias, and J. Westerlund. (2025). Stata Journal 25(3)
    Web | PDF | Google | Install | BibTeX | RIS

👆 Click Install to directly install the companion package!

Example 2: Search by author name

. findsj Baum, author n(2)
  Searching ... Showing 2 of 25 articles
[1] Stata tip 166: Changing the axis scale with marginsplot
    C. F. Baum. (2025). Stata Journal 25(4)
    Web | PDF | Google | Install | Ref | BibTeX | RIS
[2] Estimating treatment effects when program participation is misreported
    C. F. Baum, D. Tommasi, and L. Zhang. (2024). Stata Journal 24(4)
    Web | PDF | Google | Install | BibTeX | RIS

Example 3: Find machine learning tools

. findsj machine learning, n(2)
  Searching ... Showing 2 of 10 articles
[1] Optimal policy learning using Stata
    G. Cerulli. (2025). Stata Journal 25(2)
    Web | PDF | Google | Install | BibTeX | RIS
[2] ddml: Double/debiased machine learning in Stata
    A. Ahrens, C. B. Hansen, M. E. Schaffer, and T. Wiemann. (2024). Stata Journal 24(1)
    Web | PDF | Google | Install | BibTeX | RIS

Example 4: Search within article titles

. findsj differences, title n(2)
  Searching ... Showing 2 of 10 articles
[1] Avoiding the eyeballing fallacy: Visualizing statistical differences between estimates using the pheatplot command
    E. Brini, S. T. Borgen, and N. T. Borgen. (2025). Stata Journal 25(1)
    Web | PDF | Google | Install | Ref | BibTeX | RIS
[2] On synthetic difference-in-differences and related estimation methods in Stata
    D. Clarke, D. Pailañir, S. Athey, and G. Imbens. (2024). Stata Journal 24(4)
    Web | PDF | Google | Install | BibTeX | RIS

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📥 Installation

SSC Install (Recommended)

ssc install findsj, replace

⚠️ Note: ssc install with replace option will properly update both program and data files.

Install from GitHub/Gitee

International users (GitHub):

* Step 1: Install program files (.ado, .sthlp)
net install findsj, from(https://raw.githubusercontent.com/BlueDayDreeaming/findsj/main/) replace

* Step 2: Download database (REQUIRED - choose one method)
findsj, updatesource source(github)   // Recommended: auto-installs to correct location

China users (Gitee mirror - faster):

* Step 1: Install program files
net install findsj, from(https://gitee.com/ChuChengWan/findsj/raw/main/) replace

* Step 2: Download database (REQUIRED)
findsj, updatesource source(gitee)    // Recommended for China users

⚠️ Important Note: Stata's net install only downloads program files (.ado, .sthlp). The database file findsj.dta must be downloaded separately using the built-in updatesource command, which automatically installs to the correct location.

Alternative: You can use net get findsj, from(...) to download database files, but they will be saved to your current working directory, not the ado path. The updatesource command is recommended as it handles the file location automatically.

Update Database

The easiest way to update to the latest article database:

findsj, update                      // Auto-selects best source based on language
findsj, updatesource source(github) // Force GitHub (international)
findsj, updatesource source(gitee)  // Force Gitee (China)
findsj, updatesource source(both)   // Try both with fallback

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🚀 Quick Start

1. Basic Search

Search by keyword (default):

findsj machine learning

Search by author:

findsj Baum, author

Search by title:

findsj treatment effects, title

Show more results:

findsj regression, n(20)        // Show 20 results
findsj panel, allresults        // Show all matching results

2. Download Citations

Click BibTeX or RIS buttons in search results to download citation files.

Configure download location:

findsj, setpath(D:/References)    // Set custom path
findsj, querypath                  // Check current path
findsj, resetpath                  // Reset to default

3. Export to Clipboard

Export citations in different formats:

findsj propensity score, markdown    // Markdown format
findsj panel data, latex             // LaTeX format
findsj regression, plain             // Plain text

The results are automatically copied to clipboard for pasting into your document.

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📚 Complete Syntax

findsj [keyword(s)] [, options]

Search Options

• author - Search by author name
• title - Search by article title
• keyword - Search by keyword (default, can be omitted)

Display Options

• n(#) - Number of results to display (default: 10)
• allresults - Show all matching results
• nobrowser - Hide clickable links
• nopdf - Hide PDF links
• nopkg - Hide package installation links

Export Options

• markdown - Export citations in Markdown format
• latex (or tex) - Export citations in LaTeX format
• plain - Export citations in plain text format
• noclip - Don't copy to clipboard (display only)

Path Management

• setpath(path) - Set custom download directory
• querypath - Display current download path
• resetpath - Reset to default path

Database Management

• update - Update article database (requires source())
• source(source) - Specify update source:
  • github - Download from GitHub (international)
  • gitee - Download from Gitee (China, faster)
  • both - Try GitHub first, fallback to Gitee

Advanced Options

• getdoi - Display DOI information for each article in search results
• debug - Show debugging information

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💡 Advanced Examples

Example 1: Find and Install a Package

Search for difference-in-differences methods, then click Install:

findsj difference, n(5)

Example 2: Download All Citations for Your Literature Review

Search and download BibTeX files for all matching articles:

findsj, setpath(D:/MyPaper/References)
findsj causal inference

Click BibTeX buttons to download citations to your references folder.

Example 3: Export Citation List for Your Manuscript

Export formatted citations for your paper:

findsj instrumental variable, latex allresults

Paste the output directly into your LaTeX document.

Example 4: Author Bibliography

Get all publications by a specific author:

findsj "Christopher F. Baum", author allresults

Example 5: Update Database Periodically

Keep your local database up-to-date:

findsj, update source(both)

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🛠️ System Requirements

• Stata: Version 14.0 or later
• Internet: Required for database updates and real-time features
• Operating System: Windows, macOS, or Linux
• Tools:
  • Windows: PowerShell (built-in)
  • Mac/Linux: curl (pre-installed on most systems)

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🔄 Database Coverage

The findsj database includes:

• Stata Journal (SJ): All volumes and issues (2001-present)
• Total: 1,255 articles with full metadata
• Updates: Manual updates via findsj, update command, or weekly auto-update via GitHub Actions

Last database update: February 2026 (Volume 25, Issue 4)

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📖 How It Works

1. Local Database: findsj uses a local .dta database containing article metadata
2. Fast Search: All searches are performed locally for instant results
3. Smart Links: Package names are extracted and linked to installation sources
4. Cross-Platform: Native file operations for each OS ensure compatibility

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🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to:

• Report bugs or request features via GitHub Issues
• Submit pull requests for improvements
• Share your use cases and feedback

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📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE file for details.

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🙏 Acknowledgments

• Data source: Stata Journal
• Inspired by the needs of empirical researchers worldwide
• Built with ❤️ for the Stata community

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📮 Contact

Authors:

• Yujun Lian - arlionn@163.com
• Chucheng Wan - chucheng.wan@outlook.com

Project Links:

• GitHub: BlueDayDreeaming/findsj
• Gitee Mirror: ChuChengWan/findsj
• Issues: Report bugs or request features on GitHub

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Happy researching! 🎉