History, Latin American Studies 254

Contemporary Argentina

Professor: Allen Wells
Librarian: Ginny Hopcroft
Fall 2005

Finding Books
Bibliographies
Surveys and News Digests
Encyclopedias, Handbooks
Locating Articles
Indexes and Databases
Web Sites

Finding Books

In the Online Catalog, you may search for an item by its Author (including editors, illustrators, translators, and corporate authors); Title (including series titles and alternate titles); or one of several other access points, such as call number or words in title. Subject searching is more flexible in the online system than it can be in a card catalog, but for best results, use the standardized subject headings found in the Library of Congress Subject Headings books. When searching for information on a country, the technique is simple: type in the country name. This may be further categorized (e.g., ARGENTINA--HISTORY; ARGENTINA--FOREIGN RELATIONS, etc.) You could scroll through the headings to see what subdivisions are used. NOTE: subject headings dealing with language and literature will be under ARGENTINE, not ARGENTINA (e.g., ARGENTINE LITERATURE or ARGENTINE FICTION). You may LIMIT your search by such categories as YEAR OF PUBLICATION or MATERIAL TYPE (e.g., videorecording). People's names may also be searched as subject headings: type the last name first (e.g., PERON, EVA).

Bibliographies

The word "BIBLIOGRAPHY" attached to a subject heading indicates a source that lists books, periodical articles, or other materials related to that subject. Items listed may not be available at Bowdoin's Library, but often may be obtained through Interlibrary Loan. The following list shows samples of some relevant bibliographies.

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN: a Critical Guide to Research Sources.: Paula H. Covington. New York: Greenwood Press, 1992.
Ref.Z 1601 L3225 1992
A comprehensive, scholarly bibliography focused on the period since 1960. Arranged topically, it covers subjects from the arts to politics and religion. Each section consists of an introductory essay providing an overview of recent trends in scholarship in a given discipline. The essays are followed by bibliographies of works covering that discipline, arranged by country name.
REVOLUTION AND STRUCTURAL CHANGE IN LATIN AMERICA: a Bibliography on Ideology, Development, and the Radical Left (1913-1965).: Chilcote, Ronald H. Stanford, California: Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace, Stanford University, 1970.; Main Libr F1408 .C496 1970; This bibliography has a broader sweep, but there are sections for individual countries. "Argentina" lists nearly 100 pages of material! The indexing is by large subject category, such as Labor or Nationalism, then by country.
LATINAS OF THE AMERICAS: a Source Book.: K. Lynn Stoner. New York: Garland, 1989.
Ref.Z 7964 L3 S76 1989
WOMEN IN SPANISH AMERICA: an Annotated Bibliography from Pre-Conquest to Contemporary Times.: Meri Knaster. Boston: G.K. Hall, 1977.Ref.Z 7964 L3 K525
WOMEN IN THE THIRD WORLD: a Historical Bibliography.: Pamela R. Byrne. Santa Barbara: ABC-Clio, 1986. Ref.Z 7964 D44 B96 1986; The above three bibliographies focus on one of the special topics that might be considered for research: the role of women in a country's history. Each is arranged somewhat differently. Among the three are numerous references - in English and Spanish - to books, articles, government documents, audiovisual resources, etc., dealing with women in Argentina.

Surveys and News Digests


FACTS ON FILE; World News Digest with Index.: 1968+ New York: Facts on File, weekly.
Ref.D 410 F29
Weekly digest of news covering the U.S., Europe, and the world. Includes texts of important speeches, biographical sketches of candidates, etc. Detailed subject index, plus references within the text to past, related news stories.
LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN CONTEMPORARY RECORD.: 1981/82+ New York, London: Holmes and Meier Publishers, Inc.
Ref.F 1401 L3253; This annual publication provides excellent introductory essays on current issues in the region, then a country-by-country survey of the year's developments. A little slow being produced, but the yearly coverage and analysis of important international and national issues is outstanding.

Encyclopedias, Handbooks, Yearbooks

These are excellent for background and overview of a topic, a specific country, etc. Many provide detailed statistics, plus bibliographies of relevant readings on the subject.

General
Politcal/Economic
Literature

GENERAL

ARGENTINA, A COUNTRY STUDY.: 3rd edition. James D. Rudolph, Editor. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1985.
Govt D101.22 550-73/985; This title is an excellent source of detailed basic information. There are broad sections on the society, the government and political system, and the economy; with individual chapters on "Education", "Political Dynamics", "Trade and Transportation." There are 42 pages of bibliography and a detailed index. Earlier editions, entitled Area Handbook for Argentina, were published in 1969 and in 1974.
ATLAS OF CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN.: The Diagram Group. New York: Macmillan, 1985.
Ref.G 1550 D5 1985
Integrates maps, charts, diagrams, tables, and text to provide a unique reference guide to two-thirds of all Western Hemisphere countries. Part One (Regional Profile) summarizes the natural background - land structure, seas, climate, vegetation, wildlife - and the prehistory and history of the region from 12,000 years ago to present. Part Two covers individual Central American countries, and Part Three embraces the Caribbean region

CAMBRIDGE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN.: 2d ed. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1992. Ref.F 1406 C36 1992
A handsome, one-volume encyclopedia with its articles arranged in topical sections, rather than alphabetically. These sections cover the general topics of the Physical Environment; the Economy; the Peoples; History; Politics and Society; and Culture. Illustrations, maps, and a subject index are also included.
DICTIONARY OF HISPANIC BIOGRAPHY.: Joseph C. Tardiff & L. Mpho Mabunda, editors. New York : Gale Research, c1996.
Ref.CT1343 .D53 1996
Provides and excellent biographical history on the role of Hispanics in world events. Dozens of Argentine persons are represented from past and present. Entries are in alphabetical order, with indexes for occupation, nationality, and subjects.
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF LATIN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE: New York : C. Scribner's Sons ; London : Simon & Schuster : Prentice Hall International, c1996; Main Ref F1406 .E53 1996

POLITICAL/ECONOMIC

BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN POLITICAL LEADERS: Robert J. Alexander. New York: Greenwood Press, 1988.
Ref.F 1414.2 B48 1988
Over 450 biographical sketches of the most important figures in the 19th and 20th centuries in Latin America and the Caribbean. The entries emphasize the political significance of each biographee; detailed information is also presented on his/her political career, family background, education, and nonpolitical activities where relevant. Arranged alphabetically by name; an appendix lists the entries by country or territory. Another appendix presents a chronology of major events in the area from 1804 to the present.

INTERNATIONAL HISTORICAL STATISTICS: THE AMERICAS, 1750-1988

B.R. Mitchell. 2nd ed. New York, N.Y. : Stockton Press, c1993.
Ref.HA175 .M55 1993
Historical statistics are a major source of "raw material" for study of economic history and other aspects of a country's development. This volume compiles statistics from hundreds of sources over more than two hundred years, including Population and Vital Sttistics, Labour Force, Agriculture, Industry, External Trade, Transport and Communications, Finance, Prices, Education, and National Accounts, for countries in North and South America.

SOUTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN.: London: Europa Publications, Biennial, 1986+
Ref.F 1414.2 S68; A companion to the classic Europa Yearbook, this volume focuses on the political and economic life of the region comprising South and Central America and the Caribbean, and of the 47 countries and territories within it. Chapters on the major countries include a facts-in-brief page, historical and economic essays written by experts on the countries, a statistical survey, directory and bibliography. Smaller countries are covered in summary accounts, giving facts and figures on political, economic and commercial subjects. The first section of the book, "Background to the Region," consists of six introductory essays, a list of commodities of Latin America, descriptions of research institutes, and a select bibliography of periodicals. The second section covers regional organizations, and part three gives the country surveys.

POLITICAL HANDBOOK OF THE WORLD: Binghamton, N.Y.: CSA Publications, annual, 1926+
Ref.JF 37 P6; Essential political information about every country in the world: heads of state and government, cabinet members, leaders and programs of political parties, composition and activities of major intergovernmental organizations, etc. More focus on politics, less on statistics than the Europa series (above).
POLITICAL PARTIES OF THE AMERICAS, 1980s TO 1990s: CANADA, LATIN AMERICA, AND THE WEST INDIES.: Edited by Charles D. Ameringer. Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 1992.; Ref.JL 195 .P63 1992; This volume is meant to complement the 1982 edition published in two volumes Ref.JL 195 P64 1982. The books include a chapter on each country, which comprises a general essay that summarizes essential background information, emphasizing political developments; a bibliography; a list and description of active political parties, and historical parties that ceased to exist before 1980.
THE STATESMAN'S YEAR-BOOK.: London: Macmillan, annual, 1866+; Ref.JA 51 S7; A concise and reliable manual of descriptive and statistical information about the governments of the world. Covers international organizations and agencies, then countries of the world. A good source for names of political leaders, ambassadors, and diplomats.

LITERATURE

Try browsing in the call number area of Ref.PQ 7081. Listed below are a few sources out of many reference books dealing with Latin American literature.

Encyclopedia of Latin American literature: London ; Chicago : Fitzroy Dearborn, c1997; Main Ref PQ7081.A1 E56 1997
HANDBOOK OF LATIN AMERICAN LITERATURE.: Compiled by David William Foster. New York : Garland Pub., 1987.
Ref.PQ 7081.A1 H36 1987
A survey of the literature of each country in Latin America.
HISPANIC LITERATURE CRITICISM.: Jelena Krstovic, editor. Detroit : Gale Research, c1994-; Ref. PQ 7081 A1 H573 1994; Prints brief excerpts of literary criticism on major Hispanic authors of the past 100 years. A brief biographical essay on each author, plus bibliographies for further reading are included. Planned as an ongoing series.
LATIN AMERICAN WRITERS.: Carlos A. Sole, editor, Maria Isabel Abreu, associate editor. New York : Scribner, 1989. 3 vols.
Ref. PQ 7081.A1 L37 1989
An important biographical/critical encyclopedia on Latin American authors from the colonial period to the present.

SPANISH AMERICAN AUTHORS: THE TWENTIETH CENTURY: Angel Flores. Bronx, NY : H.W. Wilson, 1992.; Ref. PQ 7081.3 .F57 1992; Brief biographical sketches and bibliographies on more than 330 twentieth-century authors.

Locating Articles

Articles from scholarly journals, newspapers and magazines are often excellent sources of research information. To locate articles on a specific topic, use the indexes and databases listed below.

Some of these databases are strictly bibliographic indexes, i.e. they provide citation only. Others contain the full text of the journal articles.

To discover whether Bowdoin Library holds the journal in print or provides access to the full text, please click the "check availability" link in the database. You'll see a screen telling you whether Bowdoin has that particular journal title. If the journal is not available through Bowdoin Library, use Interlibrary Loan to obtain the article.

Indexes and Databases

ACADEMIC SEARCH PREMIER: Premier indexes popular and scholarly journals in social sciences, humanities, and science, as well as general interest magazines. Time coverage varies, but most journals have at least the most recent five years. Premier is most useful for general information; you will need to use the more scholarly indexes, such as Historical Abstracts, for in-depth analysis. Many articles in this database contain the full-text.
HANDBOOK OF LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES
Online 1935+, Print v.1-2, 1935-36, and v.6, 1940+ Ref.Z 1605 H23: An important, scholarly, annotated bibliography of current publications concerning Latin America. Since 1964, it has been published in two volumes, Humanities and Social Sciences, which are issued in alternate years. Within each volume, references are arranged in numeric order by broad subject category (economics, education, geography, etc.); a detailed subject index refers to the item numbers. Non-English language material is included in this source.
HISTORICAL ABSTRACTS
Online, 1967-: A bibliographic database covering the world's scholarly literature in history, excluding the history of the U. S. and Canada, from 1450 to the present. Contains article citations and abstracts from over 2100 journals in over 50 languages, plus citations for book reviews and dissertations. In addition to the coverage of history material, this source includes related interdisciplinary social science and humanities topics, such as anthropology, art, and literature.
NEW YORK TIMES
Online 1851-1999, Microform Room 1851+: The online version is a full text database of New York Times articles from 1851-1999, excluding some articles by freelance journalists because of copyright law. The Library also has the complete microfilm of the New York Times from 1851 to the present with a paper index to access it. It is one of the oldest and most thorough of all newspaper indexes, well worth consulting.
LEXISNEXIS ACADEMIC: A fulltext database of news and legal information. Under the "General News Topics" section, you can search for articles. Time coverage for the various newspapers, journals, and newswire services varies from publication to publication, generally no earlier than 1980.
PAIS: PUBLIC AFFAIRS INFORMATION SERVICE BULLETIN: Online 1972+, Print 1915-1972.; Includes "publications on all subjects that bear on contemporary public issues and the making and evaluation of public policy, irrespective of source or traditional disciplinary boundaries." Sources may be periodical articles, books, government documents, or the reports of public and private organizations. An excellent way to connect with Congressional hearings and reports of U.S. agencies.
READERS' GUIDE TO PERIODICAL LITERATURE
Online 1890-1982, Main Index 1900+: Covers over 200 popular magazines likely to be held in a public library or available at a newsstand: Time, Newsweek, National Geographic, etc. Subject headings and authors are presented in one alphabetical sequence. A standard resource for tracing the popular writings of the 20th Century; years ago, it included some more scholarly publications, too.
WORLD NEWS CONNECTION
Online 1990+: Provides access to broadcasts, speeches, news agency transmissions, newspaper articles and government statements from other countries, collected by the Foreign Broadcast Information Service, a U.S. government news service. The Library has earlier FBIS reports in microfiche from 1978 to 1996.

Web Sites

This page created and maintained by Ginny Hopcroft. Last updated August 30, 2005.