MEL tools, calculators, research documentation and loaders for survey microdata, in Stata, Python, R and SPSS. Part of OpenStacks. Status: Stable, per the family maintenance policy. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.15245182.
Site: varnasr.github.io/InsightStack.
| Directory | What it does | Language |
|---|---|---|
data_starters/ |
Loaders for DHS (28 surveys, seven South Asian countries) and PLFS (India) that open the files as distributed, with the weight and scale rules applied. Tested on synthetic fixtures; no data ships | Stata, R, Python |
calculators/ |
Six browser calculators for district planning: population projection, school needs, banking access, district health indicators, block-level estimates, environmental fragility | HTML, JavaScript |
econometrics/ |
Difference-in-differences, propensity score matching, instrumental variables, regression discontinuity, sensitivity analysis, with sample data | Python, R |
stata_snippets/ |
44 do-files: data management, descriptives, regression, impact evaluation, graphs, survey settings | Stata |
spss_scripts/ |
20 files: cleaning, recoding, tabulation, regression, Excel export | SPSS |
network_effects_sni/ |
Centrality, peer association with leave-one-out means, and threshold diffusion for self-help group data. 17 tests | Python |
data_validation/ |
Checks from a data dictionary: duplicates, required fields, ranges, allowed values, types, column set, cross-file ids. One row per problem. 18 tests | Python; Stata, R, SPSS companions |
label_variables/ |
Variable and value labels from a dictionary, written into .dta and .sav. 8 tests |
Python; Stata, R, SPSS companions |
survey_to_codebook/ |
An XLSForm to a Markdown codebook and a label dictionary. 9 tests | Python |
replication/ |
A replication package with one entry point, a recorded result and an R cross-check. 4 tests | Python, R |
vensim/ |
Eight system dynamics models | Vensim |
| Directory | What it holds |
|---|---|
tool_notes/ |
Nine notes on visual and document tools (Excalidraw, Kumu, Observable, RawGraphs, Flourish, Power BI, Miro, Excel, LaTeX), each with one example file |
writing_guides/ |
Theory of change, results chain, evaluation report structure, policy brief, writing about uncertainty |
eval_docs/ |
Logframe, indicator reference sheet and MEL framework templates, with a completed example |
annotated_research/ |
Five illustrative research briefs annotated with one eight-tag scheme |
learning_layers/ |
Learning in the MEL cycle as scheduled decisions |
KM_tools/ |
Folder structure, README template, file naming, tagging |
taguette_coding/ |
One focus group coded in Taguette, with the method |
visual_ethnography_descript/ |
Recorded interviews: consent, transcription, clips, quotes |
learning_library/ |
PDFs and guides in five categories |
cd data_starters/dhs-south-asia && python make_fixture.py --outdir fixtures
python test_load_dhs.py && Rscript test_load_dhs.R
cd ../plfs-india && python make_fixture.py --outdir fixtures
python test_load_plfs.py && Rscript test_load_plfs.R
python -m network_effects_sni.test_network_effects
python data_validation/test_data_validation.py
python label_variables/test_label_variables.py
python survey_to_codebook/test_survey_to_codebook.py
python replication/test_replication.py
All of these run in CI on every pull request. The Stata files are not tested, since Stata has no free runtime; each carries a fixture check at the bottom.
Stata 15 or later for the do-files. Python 3.8 or later with pandas, statsmodels and networkx. R 4.0 or later with tidyverse, survey and haven. SPSS for the syntax files.
| Repository | What it is for | Language |
|---|---|---|
| InsightStack (this repository) | MEL tools, calculators, research documentation, loaders for survey microdata | Stata, Python, R, SPSS |
| FieldStack | Field operations while a survey is in the field; sampling and weighted estimation after | R |
| EquityStack | Inequality measurement and design-based survey estimation | Python |
openstacks.dev is the index. SignalStack is the companion archive for the Research Rundown newsletter, beside the stacks rather than one of them. PolicyStack is superseded by PolicyDhara. RootStack, BridgeStack and ViewStack are archived.
@software{insightstack,
author = {Sri Raman, Varna},
title = {InsightStack: MEL tools, calculators and survey data loaders},
url = {https://github.com/Varnasr/InsightStack},
doi = {10.5281/zenodo.15245182}
}MIT. See LICENSE.