Latin American & Latino/a Studies
Information Literacy
Information literacy is an indispensible foundation for developing research skills. The Latin American & Latino/a Studies program asks all students to familiarize themselves with the Smith College Information Literacy Mission Statement, as well as the Definitions and Standards of Information Literacy.
Writing Intensive Classes
For a description of basic information literacy skills required of all students before entering upon work in their major, click here. These skills may be regarded by all students as a base for further study. Help is available through the Neilson Library Reference Department's Ask a Librarian options.
Skills for LALS Majors
Latin American & Latino/a Studies is an interdisciplinary major and minor exploring the emergence of new cultures that developed as a result of the meeting of Native Americans, Africans and Europeans. Students are trained in a wide variety of approaches and methodologies through courses in fields such as History, Literature, Anthropology, Art History, Economics, Sociology and Government.
Students should:
Key Sources for LALS
Below are important sources for Latin American/Latino/a Studies. For a more complete list see the Neilson Library Research Guide for Latin American & Latino/a Studies.
| Reference Source or Website | Smith College Online Access |
|---|---|
| Companion to Latin American Literature & Culture | Blackwell Reference Online |
| The Dictionary of Literary Biography | Gale/Cengage DLB Online |
| Scribner Writers Online | Scribner Writers Online |
| Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture | Gale/Cengage Online |
| FLACSO: La Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales | http://www.flacso.org |
|
Statistical Resources on the Web |
University of Michigan |
| LANIC: Latin American Network Information Center | University of Texas / Austin |
| Journal Title | Call Number / Access (bound volumes - Neilson Level 2 South) |
|---|---|
| Latin American Research Review | per F 1401 .L345 / online |
| The Hispanic American Historical Review | per F 1401 .H66 / online |
| Latin American Perspectives | per F 1401 .L335 / online |
The following list provides some important research databases:
| Books | Access |
|---|---|
| Five College Library Catalog | click here |
| WorldCat (all dates) | click here |
| Journals/Articles | Access |
|---|---|
| Academic Search Premier (1965+) | click here |
| JSTOR (back issues excluding most recent 2-5 years) | click here |
| Project Muse (current issues) | click here |
| Journal Locator (search for specific journals by title) | click here |
| HAPI: Hispanic American Periodical Index (1970+) | click here |
| Humanities Abstracts (1984+) | click here |
| Social Sciences Abstracts (1983+) | click here |
| PAIS International (1915+) | click here |
| Historical Abstracts (1953+) | click here |
| News Articles | Access |
|---|---|
| LexisNexis Academic (coverage varies) | click here |
| Jornal do Brasil (Brazil) | click here |
| La Jornada en línea (Mexico) | click here |
| La Nación (Argentina) | click here |
Ethical Use of Information
Plagiarism is a very serious violation of the Smith College Honor Code. For more information, PLEASE CONSULT: http://www.smith.edu/sao/handbook/socialconduct/honorcode.php
Assessment
Students enrolled in 200 level courses should be able to create a bibliography using sources from the online catalog, some scholarly journals, and appropriate internet sites.
At the 300 level students should demonstrate even greater information literacy. Research papers should include primary and secondary sources originating in the U.S., Latin America, and other parts of the world. Papers should include sources reflecting relevant scholarly debates in the field.
Students at both levels should be prepared to discuss and evaluate all of their sources.
Approved by members of the Latin American & Latino/a Studies faculty, May 25, 2011.
