[R] Package norm has been removed. What to use for Maximum Likelihood Missing Data Imputation?

[Uwe Ligges]

Achim Zeileis wrote:
> On Fri, 17 Jul 2009, Daniel Abbott wrote:
> 
>> Hello,
>>
>> I apologize if an answer to my questions is available, or if I
>> submitted this question incorrectly. I have read the mailing lists, as
>> well as the R Project and CRAN homepages. However, I may have missed
>> something.
>>
>> I noticed the package 'norm' has been removed. Its page
>> http://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/norm/index.html now reads:
>>
>> "Package ?norm? was removed from the CRAN repository.
>>
>> Formerly available versions can be obtained from the archive."
>>
>> My questions are:
>>
>> 1. Why was norm removed? I used the package and found it to be very
>> useful. Is there a serious error in the package or another problem?
> 
> What do you consider to be a serious error?
> 
> Typical reasons for removing a package from the active CRAN repository 
> are that the package does not pass CRAN checks and/or that the package 
> maintainer is irresponsive. (norm, specifically, hadn't been updated 
> since 2002.) This is serious enough to make all automatic CRAN features 
> such as daily package checks and building of binary packages too 
> cumbersome.
> 
> But if you do not consider this to be serious, you can keep on using 
> "norm", it is still in CRAN's package archives. Or, even better, you 
> could adopt it, fix it, and release a new version to CRAN (although it 
> is not quite clear to me whether the norm's license allows this).


Oh yes, indeed.

Please ignore my former message, I haven't looked at the license 
carefully enough. And since the license is rather special (not GPL'ed as 
I assumed in my message), you cannot take over maintainership without 
negotiation with the former maintainer, I fear.

Best,
Uwe Ligges



> (Note that CRAN runs no checks whether the methods implemented are 
> reasonable or well-suited for the problem they are trying to address etc.)
> 
>> 2. If norm should no longer be removed, what is another good package
>> for ML (maximum likelihood) missing data imputation? I have seen
>> several recommendations online, but I wonder which one is currently
>> the "reigning champ."
> 
> The "Multivariate" and the "SocialSciences" task views have sections 
> about missing data
>   http://CRAN.R-project.org/view=Multivariate
>   http://CRAN.R-project.org/view=SocialSciences
> 
> Additionally, I can recall that there is the Amelia II package:
>   http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=Amelia
> and potentially others.
> 
> hth,
> Z
> 
>> Thank you very much. I appreciate your time!
>>
>> ______________________________________________
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>>
>>
> 
> ______________________________________________
> R-help at r-project.org mailing list
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> PLEASE do read the posting guide 
> http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
> and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.