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Developing a Topic
Typically a research topic should be narrowed and focused, which will be more manageable than an overly broad topic. Think how hard it would be to write a 5-page paper on just Latin America! What would you include? How would you structure it? By focusing your topic, you will have an easier time with your research.
You may start with a broad topic, and not be sure how to focus it. By exploring background information you can learn about a topic and its parts. As you read through background information, consider if you can focus your topic in the following ways:
- Geographically - limit by a region, country, state, or city like Brazil or the Caribbean
- Chronologically - limit by a time period like 18th century or Cold War
- People or Groups - limit to a specific person or group such as Sor Juana Ines or FARC
- Current or Historical Events - limit to a particular event such as the Treaty of Tordesillas or the construction of the Panama Canal
- Specific Examples - limit to specific examples of a broad topic. For example, instead of music, consider salsa or marimba.
Background Information
Reference books can provide background information on various topics, helping you to better understand your topic. Typically entries on topics will be brief, between 1-20 pages, and can help you find related topics and areas.
Background information can help you learn about the history, scope, depth, and breadth of your topic. It can be useful to help you understand a subject, as well as give you information to help you narrow a topic.
Credo Reference
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Credo Reference is a online database that contains the full text of more than 900 online reference books. The results in this database will give you brief information about subjects and help you learn more as you narrow your topic. You can also use the mind map feature to explore related topics.
Reference Books
These titles are located either in the Reference Collection on the second floor of the L.W. Tyree Library or the Circulating Collection on the third floor. Books in the second floor Reference Collection are available for in-library use only and books in the third floor Circulating Collection may be borrowed. Use the call number to locate the item.
Some books are available online. Look for the word 'eBook' in the call number to identify eBooks. To read the eBook, click the title and then log in.
Encyclopedia of Latin AmericaCall Number: REF F1406 .E5155 2010 (2nd floor)A four-volume set that covers the history and culture of Latin America, South America, and the Caribbean.
Encyclopedia of Latin American History and CultureCall Number: REF F1406 .E53 2008 (2nd floor)A six-volume set that covers all aspects of history and culture, with regional specifics as well as general entries.
Historical Atlas of Ancient AmericaCall Number: E18 .H86 2001 (3rd floor)Explores 3,000 years of Mesoamerica, ranging from the Olmec and concluding with the Aztec empire and the arrival of European explorers.
Historical Atlas of Central AmericaCall Number: F1436 H2 2003 Bottom shelf (3rd floor)Covers five centuries of history and important issues for the seven countries making up Central America.
Latin American History and Culture: Encyclopedia of Modern Latin America (1900 to the Present)Call Number: eBook (click title)Covers the history and culture of Central America, South America, and the Caribbean, focusing on Latin America as it asserts itself in international politics, experiences the effects of globalization, and becomes an influential area worldwide, from the 20th century through the present day.
"Countries, Peoples & Cultures" seriesCall Number: REF GN307 .C46 2015 (2nd floor) & eBook (click title)Covering countries and territories around the world. See Volume 1 (Central & South America) and Volume 8 (North America and the Caribbean).
Artists from Latin American Cultures: A Biographical DictionaryCall Number: REF N6502.5 .C657 2002 (2nd floor)Profiles 75 artists from the United States and Central and South America.
Encyclopedia of Latin American and Caribbean ArtCall Number: REF N6502 .E53 1999 (2nd floor)"Covers the arts of every country in Central and South America and the Caribbean from the colonial period to the present day."
Encyclopedia of Latin American Popular MusicCall Number: ML101.L38 E53 2013 (3rd floor)More than 200 entries covering themes, musicians, music instruments, and more in Latin America.
Encyclopedia of Latin American TheaterCall Number: eBook (click title)Covers the major figures of Latin American drama, organized by country.
Ethnic Groups of the Americas: An EncyclopediaCall Number: REF GN495.4 .A44 2013 (2nd floor)Covering ethnic groups in North, Central, and South America, with detailed backgrounds, statistics, and cultural information for each group.
Garland Encyclopedia of World MusicCall Number: REF ML100 .G16 (2nd floor)A multidisciplinary survey of the world's music. This reference set is also included in the Music Online: Reference database with an online audio CD. See Volume 2: South America, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of World Popular CultureCall Number: REF HM621 .G74 2007 (2nd floor)Covers popular culture broken down into major categories (including Art, Dance, Film, Food, Music, Sports and more). See Volume 2: Latin America.
Latin American Artists: From 1785 to NowCall Number: N6538.L3 L37 2023 (3rd floor)In an accessible A-Z format, this volume introduces key artworks by 308 artists who together demonstrate the variety and vitality of artwork being made.
Latin Music: Musicians, Genres, and ThemesCall Number: REF ML101.L38 L37 2014 (2nd floor)Covering music throughout Latin America from the Pre-Columbian period to the present.Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life
Call Number: REF GN333 .W67 2017 (2nd floor) & eBook (click title)This set explores many of the cultural and social aspects of individual countries. Includes folklore, religion, rites of passage, family life, education, cultural heritage, social problems, and more. See Volume 2: Americas.
The Cambridge History of Latin American LiteratureCall Number: PQ7081 .A1 C35 1996 (3rd floor)A three-volume set covering Latin American literature from the beginning. Volume 1 covers the time period from pre-Columbian literature to the nineteenth century, Volume 2 covers the nineteenth century to the 1990s, and Volume 3 focuses on Brazilian literature.
Encyclopedia of Latin American LiteratureCall Number: PQ7081.A1 E56 1997 (3rd floor) & eBook (click title)Information on writers, works, and relevant topics in Latin American literature.
Latin American Literature and Its TimesCall Number: REF PN50 .M625 v.1 (2nd floor)This volume focuses on major fiction, poetry and non-fiction from Latin America. Organized by title, it discusses 50 works through detailed essays.
Latin American WritersCall Number: REF PQ7081.A1 L37 1989 (2nd floor)Three-volume set covering popular and influential Latin American writers.
Literary Cultures of Latin AmericaCall Number: REF PQ7081.A1 L525 2004 (2nd floor)A three-volume set that critically assesses literature in Latin America.
A Companion to Latin American PhilosophyCall Number: eBook (click title)Examines the history of Latin American philosophy and its current issues, traces the development of the discipline, and offers biographical sketches of key Latin American thinkers.
The Encyclopedia of Caribbean ReligionsCall Number: REF BL2565 .E54 2013 (2nd floor)Two-volume set covering the current and historical religions in the Caribbean region, including social and cultural context.
Encyclopedia of PhilosophyCall Number: REF B51 .E53 2006 (2nd floor)This 10-volume set is the definitive reference work on philosophy.
The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the MayaCall Number: F1435.3.R3 M55 1993 (3rd floor)Explores the myths and religious beliefs of Precolumbian Mesoamerica.
Religion and Everyday Life and CultureCall Number: REF BL74 .R36 2010 (2nd floor) & eBook (click title)A three-volume set that details how religious practices affect the everyday lives of people. Volume 1 focuses on geographic areas, including an entry on Latin America, while Volumes 2 and 3 look at aspects of life (e.g. education; criminal justice; children; death and dying).
Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and PracticesCall Number: REF BL80.3 .R45 2010 (2nd floor)A six-volume survey chronicling major beliefs, practices, and groups, with country-by-country entries.
Shamanism: An Encyclopedia of World Beliefs, Practices, and CultureCall Number: REF GN475.8 .S445 2004 (2nd floor)A two-volume set that looks at shamanic beliefs and rituals across the globe, including in South America.
Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious PracticesCall Number: REF BL80.3 .W67 2014 (2nd floor) & eBook (click title)A four-volume set translating religion into everyday life. Volume 1 has information on major religious groups, while volumes 2-4 give country breakdowns.
Encyclopedia of Mexico: History, Society & CultureCall Number: REF F1210 .E63 1997 (2nd floor) & eBook (click title)A two-volume set looking at Mexico historically and as a contemporary culture.
Handbook to Life in the Inca WorldCall Number: F3429 .S93 2011 (3rd floor)A thematic overview of the daily life of people in the Inca Empire.
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Aztec and MayaCall Number: F1219 .P45 2007 (3rd floor)Covers the art, culture, mythology, and history of the Aztec, Maya, Olmec, Mixtec, Toltec, and Zapotec.
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Mesoamerican CulturesCall Number: REF F1218.6 .O95 2001 (2nd floor)A three-volume set covering Pre-Hispanic, Colonial, and modern Mesoamerica. Includes information on art, archaeology, religious studies, anthropology, Latin American culture, and the history of the region.
