Econometric software can be evaluated on the basis of the facilities ostensibly offered, as is common in disciplinary software reviews. Alternatively, this software can be considered in terms of effectiveness: the degree to which it permits economists to perform research and other tasks....

This essay considers some of the circumstances that have characterized econometric practice during the past fifty to sixty years, including both the invention and use of the electronic computer and the growing accessibility of both micro- and macroeconomic data. However, its particular focus is...