The survival kit: a tool for analysis of survival data

The Survival Kit is a set of programs that allows analysis of data which are measuring time untilsome defined event. Nonlinear Cox and Weibull regression models are featured. The programs are specifically adapted to the needs of animal breeders who tend to use very large data sets and want to estimate random effects. The covariance structure between observations based on genetic relationship can also be included. The programs are useful for analysis of (fixed) effects on longevity or any other time variable as well as for genetic evaluations on a national scale. As mixed or random effects models (called frailty models in survival analysis terminology) are not provided by standard statistical software packages, the Survival Kit can also be useful to researchers outside of animal science.