[R-pkgs] New package: MatchIt

[Elizabeth Stuart]

We would like to announce the release of our software MatchIt, now 
available on CRAN.   MatchIt implements a variety of matching methods for 
causal inference.  

Abstract:
MatchIt implements the suggestions of Ho, Imai, King, and Stuart (2004) 
for improving parametric statistical models by preprocessing data with 
nonparametric matching methods. MatchIt implements a wide range of 
sophisticated matching methods, making it possible to greatly reduce the 
dependence of causal inferences on hard-to-justify, but commonly made, 
statistical modeling assumptions. The software also easily fits into 
existing research practices since, after preprocessing data with MatchIt, 
researchers can use whatever parametric model they would have used without 
MatchIt, but produce inferences with substantially more robustness and 
less sensitivity to modeling assumptions. MatchIt is an R program, and 
also works seamlessly with Zelig.

For more information, please see http://gking.harvard.edu/matchit/.  
Comments and suggestions are welcome.  

Sincerely,
Daniel Ho, Kosuke Imai, Gary King, and Elizabeth Stuart