Subject Guides: Visual Culture in Latin America: Home

Reference works (good for generating topics and recommending sources)

Encyclopedia of Mexico
Available by library subscription. Signed articles written by leading scholars in the field. Great for topic narrowing and for identifying the most important articles and books on a subject.
Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture
Newly revised and online, well-respected resource complete with recommended readings for further study.

Grove Art Online This link opens in a new window
The foremost scholarly art encyclopedia, updated regularly and covering global art and architecture from prehistory to present day. Includes peer-reviewed articles contributed by over 7,000 scholars from around the world, accompanied by images, bibliographies, and links to additional resources.

Wikipedia
Useful in particular for the reference lists that accompany many of the entries: popular and sometimes scholarly sources.

Encompass Search
Encompass Search searches for books and other resources, first in our own library, and then beyond, in other research libraries.

Here are some sample SUBJECT searches using Library of Congress subject headings:
women Mexico history
feminism Argentina
sex role Chile history
gender nonconformity Brazil
masculinity Mexico history
race Costa Rica
ethnic relations Dominican Republic
race relations Ecuador
racially mixed people Mexico
church and state Venezuela
Catholic Church Mexico history
revolution Mexico
politics Argentina
political corruption Peru
artists Brazil
painting Colombia
music Bolivia
women in art Mexico
folk art Colombia
women artists Mexico
Mexico History Spanish colony
Google Books
Google Books is a rich source of full-text documents (books and other materials) published prior to 1923 that are now in the public domain.

Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
A database of both scholarly and popular publications in a wide variety of disciplines and subject areas, including psychology. Most full text is linked directly in the database; otherwise use the Check for Full Text buttons to check for full text online or in the library.
Historical Abstracts with Full Text This link opens in a new window
Provides indexing, abstracts, and selected full text of articles appearing in history journals, with emphasis on world history from 1450 to present (excluding the U.S. and Canada which are covered in America: History and Life). It includes citations to books, journal articles, and dissertations.

Google Scholar
May be used in conjunction with interlibrary loan. Access to full text is maximized by searching from the Muhlenberg network.

Art Full Text This link opens in a new window
Index and selected full text from art periodicals, 1929-present. Full text journals include Architects' Journal, Art Bulletin, and Art Journal.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
A substantive archive of about 3,000 full text scholarly journals plus scholarly books in the arts, humanities, social sciences and biological sciences. As an archive, there is typically a lag time of 3-5 years from publication until new issues appear in JSTOR. Journals include core titles from a variety of disciplines: history, economics, biology, and more.
Communication and Mass Media Complete This link opens in a new window
Premier database of scholarly and trade journals and books in media and communication and related areas. Some full text is linked directly in the database; otherwise, use the Check for Full Text buttons to check for full text online or in the library.
PsycINFO This link opens in a new window
Premier database of scholarly and professional journals and books in psychology and related areas. Some full text is linked directly in the database; otherwise, use the Check for Full Text buttons to check for full text online or in the library.

For tips on citing print and electronic sources, visit Trexler Library's Citation Guides for Print and Electronic Resources.

Or visit the Online Writing Lab at Purdue.

For automated citation, try the shareware Zotero. Directions for installing Zotero here.

For help with annotated bibliographies, visit Purdue's Online Writing Lab for definitions and format of an annotation.

Articles and books not found in Trexler Library can be ordered on interlibrary loan.