Hi everyone,

I have very elementary skills in econometrics and until now I've only worked with cross-sectional data. Now I need to work with panel data, but I feel I lack even the basic competences (even for doing descriptive statistics). Until now I've tried to fill my gaps "on the road", basically trying to learn only the things that I needed immediately. I resorted to this "easy" steategy only because I'm really short of time.
But that's not working. I need a more systematic training on how to explore my data and work with them when they have a panel dimension.
My handbook is not very helpful: the chapter on Panel starts from regressions; I want to be able to know my data in detail and know how to work with them before I do regressions. There is probably I reason for that lack in my book (maybe I should look into the time series methods for descriptive statistics?), but I don't know it.

So my question is: considering that (independently on my will) I'm short of time, what book/video/online resource would you suggest to have a systematic introduction to panel data in Stata, which includes all the "tricks" to describe them and work with them (I learned how to do many things the long way, and then found a much shorter way in Statalist.. isn't there a way to learn these things systematically?)?

Aurora