Subject Guides

Latin American and Caribbean Area Studies (LACAS)

Here are some links to databases, journals, dictionaries and web sites for LACAS students and researchers.

Polls & Public Opinions

Polling the Nations

The ultimate resource for polling information is Polling the Nations with more than 400,000 questions including the work of 700 polling organizations. Each question in international, state, local and special polls is listed under one of 4,500 topics.

Latin American Public Opinion Project

LAPOP surveys analyze citizen views on system support, political tolerance, citizen participation, local government, corruption, and views on authoritarianism. Every two years it carries out the AmericasBarometer survey, which currently covers 26 nations including all of North, Central and South America, and the Caribbean.

Latinobarómetro

Latinobarómetro is an annual public opinion survey that involves some 19,000 interviews in 18 Latin American countries, representing more than 400 million inhabitants. Latinobarómetro Corporation researches the development of democracy and economies as well as societies, using indicators of opinion, attitudes, behavior and values. Its results are used by social and political actors, international organizations, governments and the media.

Latin American Databank

Locates, acquires, processes and archives public opinion surveys conducted by the survey research community in Latin America and the Caribbean, including universities, institutes, individual scholars, private polling and public opinion research firms.

Binghamton University Polling Data & Public Opinion Subject Guide

 For additional polling and public opinion information, please visit the Polling Data & Public Opinion subject guide. 

Primary Sources

What is a Primary Source?

Primary sources are often defined as first-hand accounts, raw data, or original content. They are generated by witnesses or participants of a past event. A secondary account is instead an analysis, commentary, or review of original content.

 

Primary Sources: Humanities & Sciences

Below is a helpful chart that provides examples of primary sources and secondary sources, and how they may differ between the humanities and the sciences:

mage result for difference between primary and secondary sources

Graphic taken from: https://dkit.ie.libguides.com/researchprocess/primaryandsecondarysources

 

Why use a Primary Source?

Primary sources provide direct evidence and information that give a better understanding to objects, people, places, and events from the past.  They can inform research on many levels for historical people, places, events, family history, literary analysis, statistical research, studying performance practice, legal research, and marketing.

Suggested LACAS Archival & Primary Source Databases

Statistics Databases & Resources

Economist Intelligence Unit

EIU produces global macroeconomic forecasts and political and economic analysis for nearly 200 individual countries.

 

 LANIC: Statistics

Gateway to statistics from and about Latin American countries. Organized by Regional and Country Resources.

 

Binghamton University Statistics & Census Data Subject Guide

Subject Guide containing several resources and links to additional statistical resources and data.

Other Relevant Resources

LANIC:

Latin American Network Information Center. The Latin American Network Information Center (LANIC) is affiliated with the Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies (LLILAS) at the University of Texas at Austin.  LANIC's editorially reviewed directories contain over 12,000 unique URLs, one of the largest guides for Latin American content on the Internet. The mission of LANIC is to provide Latin American users with access to academic databases and information services throughout the Internet, and to provide Latin Americanists around the world with access to information on and from Latin America.

 

CRL Global Resources Network: Latin American Topic Guide:

This resource provides the strengths of the CRL holdings through the compilation of books, periodicals, manuscripts, newspapers, and archival materials in print, microfilm, and digital formats.  Materials not available digitally through the database can be requested via Interlibrary loan. 

 

Library of Congress Hispanic Collections Online: 

Links to the digitized collections of Luso-Hispanic interest in the Library of Congress.

 

HOSLAC:

A database of primary sources on the history of science in Latin America and the Caribbean.  The site, launched in January of 2010 provides a virtual archive of over 200 primary sources long with introductions based on the latest scholarly findings. 

 

Latin Americanist Research Resources Project (LARRP):

LARRP is a consortium of research libraries that seeks to increase free and open access to information in support of learning and scholarship in Latin American Studies. It mobilizes collaborative activities among individuals and organizations on a global scale but focuses on relationships within the academic library community.