Automating Multiple Software Packages in Simulation Research for Structural Equation Modeling and Hierarchical Linear Modeling

Simulation researchers are sometimes faced with the need to use multiple statistical software packages in the process of conducting their research, potentially having to go between software packages manually. This can be a tedious and time-consuming process that generally motivates researchers to use fewer replications in their simulations than they might have used had the entire process been automated. This article describes a process by which multiple software packages can be used by governing the study with SAS and having SAS call DOS to run other software. Because this automation process should greatly reduce the time necessary for the simulations, it is hoped that this will enable researchers to use a greater number of replications and thereby enhance the precision and accuracy of their results.