TY  - JOUR
A1  - Willekens, Frans
A1  - Putter, Hein
T1  - Software for multistate analysis
Y1  - 2014/08/06
JF  - Demographic Research
JO  - Demographic Research
SN  - 1435-9871
SP  - 381
EP  - 420
DO  - 10.4054/DemRes.2014.31.14
VL  - 31
IS  - 14
UR  - https://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol31/14/
L1  - https://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol31/14/31-14.pdf
L2  - https://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol31/14/31-14.pdf
N2  - Background: The growing interest in pathways, the increased availability of life-history data,
innovations in statistical and demographic techniques, and advances in software
technology have stimulated the development of software packages for multistate
modeling of life histories. 

Objective: In the paper we list and briefly discuss several software packages for multistate analysis
of life-history data. The packages cover the estimation of multistate models (transition
rates and transition probabilities), multistate life tables, multistate population
projections, and microsimulation. 

Methods: Brief description of software packages in a historical and comparative perspective. 

Results: During the past 10 years the advances in multistate modeling software have been
impressive. New computational tools accompany the development of new methods in
statistics and demography. The statistical theory of counting processes is the preferred
method for the estimation of multistate models and R is the preferred programming
platform. 

Conclusions: Innovations in method, data, and computer technology have removed the traditional
barriers to multistate modeling of life histories and the computation of informative lifecourse
indicators. The challenge ahead of us is to model and predict individual life
histories. 

ER  -