Problem with merging my datasets on stata- panel data

[mama kay]

Hi,

I have a 7-year dataset, I want to merge all together into one single dataset using the id and survey-year but it is not merging at all.

Please, what can I do to make it work?

I used this code,

use "C:\Users\stuart\Desktop\THESIS DATA 1ST JULY\sort\stata data\2010...dta"

. clear

. import delimited "C:\Users\stuart\Desktop\THESIS DATA 1ST JULY\sort\CSV DATA\2011
> sorted.csv"
(13 vars, 1,414 obs)

. merge 1:1 id suryear using "C:\Users\stuart\Desktop\THESIS DATA 1ST JULY\sort\sta
> ta data\2010...dta"

Result # of obs.
-----------------------------------------
not matched 2,835
from master 1,414 (_merge==1)
from using 1,421 (_merge==2)

matched 0 (_merge==3)
-----------------------------------------

Secondly, is it compulsory to always use the merge code for panel data or can I use the append code as well?

Lastly, in analysing the impact of nationality on the wage gap, is it compulsory to have a balanced panel data or not because some individuals were not observed in all the 7years of the survey

Thanks

[Carlo Lazzaro]

At https://www.statalist.org/forums/for...-data-analysis, the original poster was recommended to use -append- instead of -merge-.
As an aside, using commands aimed at combining datasets, such as -append- and -merge-, is usually not conditional on the type of subsequent statistical analysis to be performed.