Latin America: Inter-American and Intra-Continental Relations

|Background Sources | Secondary Sources: Books | Secondary Sources: Articles | Other Sources |

Background Sources

Encyclopedias and dictionaries provide background information and can be used to identify key people, events and dates which can then be used as search terms for finding additional information. More importantly, because encyclopedias often cover the major issues surrounding the subect, they can help you narrow your research from a broad “who, what, where, when” topic to a “how or why” question. In addition many encyclopedia articles include short bibliographies that will lead you to the major works on the topic.

The books listed here are shelved in Suzzallo Reference, first floor Suzzallo Library.

  • Enciclopedia de México
    Suzzallo Reference
    F1204 .E46 1998
  • Encyclopedia of U.S. foreign relations
    Suzzallo Reference, Odegaard Reference
    E183.7 .E53 1997
  • Encyclopedia of Latin American history and culture
    Suzzallo Reference - Undergraduate Reference
    F1406 .E53 1996
  • Encyclopedia of Latin American politics
    Suzzallo Reference
    F1410 .E56 2002
  • Encyclopedia of Mexico: history, society & culture
    Suzzallo Reference
    F1210 .E63 1997
  • Encyclopedia of the inter-American system
    Suzzallo Reference
    F1410 .A79 1997
  • Country Studies
    The following are links collections of country profiles. Most cover the current economic and political situation.

Secondary Sources - Books

Use the following databases to locate books in the UW Libraries and in other libraries around the region, nation and world. Books unavailable at the UW can be requested through the UWorld Express (interlibrary loan).
  • UW Libraries Catalog
    A listing of the books, journal subscriptions and other material available at the University of Washington Libraries.
  • Cascade
    A listing of the books, journal subscriptions and other material available in the 6 public university library systems in Washington state. Books can be requested online and sent to the UW.
  • OCLC WorldCat [UW only]
    A listing of books, journal subscriptions and other material available in hundreds of major libraries in the U.S. and abroad.
  • OhioLINK
    Use OhioLink to access chapters of recent books, use the "Words" search option.

Secondary Sources - Articles

 Use indexes and bibliographies to find articles (from scholarly journals, popular magazines and newspapers and sometimes books, dissertations, government reports, etc.) on a topic. Most indexes are arranged by subject or include a subject index. Indexes/abstracts are ongoing publications; bibliographies tend to be one volume and are more narrowly focused on a specific topic. There are indexes covering all sorts of subjects, use those which best fit your research topic. For a complete list of electronic indexes see Databases & Catalogs on the Information Gateway.

Once you identify articles you need make sure you have the complete citation (author, title, journal name, volume, pages and year), then look in the UW Libraries Catalog for the journal name (do a title search for the journal name to see if the UW subscribes) to see if and where the journal is kept (library location and call number).

Databases marked UW Only require that you access these from computers on campus or from home using UWICK or the libraries proxy server. Articles from journals which the UW does not own can be requested through the UWorld Express (interlibrary loan).

 General Indexes
  • Academic (Lexis-Nexis) Universe [UW only]
    Full text database of news, legal and business information. Sources include major U.S. and international English-language papers, magazines, wire services and transcripts. Also includes some Spanish-language Mexican papers. Use only for topics dealing with contemporary (post 1985) issues. Also see World News Connection [UW only].
  • Expanded Academic Index [UW only]
    General index to magazine and journal articles in all subjects, includes some full-text. Also see a similar general database, Research Library [UW only].
  • JSTOR [UW only]
    Searchable collection of back issues of selected journals including the Hispanic American Historical Review and the Journal of Latin American Studies. For another collection of searchable electronic journals related to history see Project Muse.
  • Research Library [UW only]
    General index to magazine and journal articles in all subjects, includes some full-text.

Specialized Indexes

  • EconLit [UW only]
    Index to articles in economics including economic history. For more business related articles see ABI/INFORM [UW only].
  • Handbook of Latin American Studies
    Major index covering books and journals (Spanish, English and other languages) dealing with all aspects of Latin America. Coverage dates from 1935. Also available in print [Suzzallo Reference: Z1605 .H26]
  • Hispanic American Periodicals Index [HAPI]
    Suzzallo Reference index area [Z1605.H492]
    Indexes more than 200 journals dealing with Latin America. Coverage dates from 1970.
  • Historical Abstracts [UW only]
    Major index to articles in world history from the period 1450 on. For U.S. and Canadian history see America History and Life [UW only].
  • PAIS International [UW only]
    Covers social and public policy literature from over 1,400 periodicals and thousands of government documents, books, and other sources from 1972 onward. Printed version goes back to 1915 and is kept in the Suzzallo Reference index area [Z7163.P9].

Other Sources

  • Congressional Universe [UW only]
    Full-text debates, bills, reports dating back to approximately 1989 and indexing dating back to 1970. Also includes an index to congressional hearings and reports dating back to 1789.
  • Foreign Relations of the United States
    Compilation of State Department documents. Housed in Gov't Publications S 1.1:/ Some volumes online at the State Department web site.
  • LANIC
    Latin American Network Information Center at the University of Texas provides a comprehensive list of web sites dealing with all aspects of Latin America.
  • National Security Archives microfilm
    Collection of microfilmed documents dealing with national security issues. Also see excerpts online at the National Security Archive.
    • The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962 microfiche M-3032
    • El Salvador: the making of U.S. policy, 1977-1984 microfiche M-3025
    • Nicaragua: the making of U.S. policy, 1978-1990 microfiche M-3026
    • El Salvador: war, peace, and human rights, 1980-1994 microfiche M-3273

Photography by Russell Lee, "Mexican labor contractor and inspectors in the fields, La Pryor, Texas," 1939. Courtesy of America from the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the FSA-OWI, 1935-1945.

| Slides | Latin American History | History Subject Page | UW Libraries |

29 October 2002
mudrock@u.washington.edu