A Step-By-Step Guide to Exploratory Factor Analysis With Stata, by Marley W. Watkins, is a concise, approachable guide for applied researchers in the behavioral, medical, and social sciences. This book begins with an introduction to the Stata interface, commands, Do-file Editor, and resources available for help, followed by an easy-to-follow 10-step approach for conducting exploratory factor analysis in Stata. These steps range from deciding which variables to include and selecting participants to interpreting and reporting final results. Watkins discusses the available options for performing exploratory factor analysis in Stata, including factor extraction methods, deciding how many factors to retain, and factor rotation. Commands and output for each of these steps are included, and six example datasets are provided online.
Introduction
Data
Stata Software
Importing and Saving Data
Decision Steps in Exploratory Factor Analysis
Step 1: Variables to Include
Step 2: Participants
Step 3: Data Screening
Step 4: Is Exploratory Factor Analysis Appropriate?
Step 5: Factor Analysis Model
Step 6: Factor Extraction Method
Step 7: How Many Factors to Retain
Step 8: Rotate Factors
Step 9: Interpret Exploratory Factor Analysis Results
Step 10: Report Exploratory Factor Analysis Results
Exploratory Factor Analysis with Categorical Variables
Higher-Order and Bifactor Models
Exploratory versus Confirmatory Factor Analysis
Practice Exercises
