Brooklyn College Library LibGuides Home: Puerto Rican and Latino Studies: Finding a Topic

Finding a Topic

Sometimes you will be given a lot of freedom to choose your own topic for research. The choices are wide ranging and can touch on any subject. Other times the choices may still be extensive but confined within a very broad discipline such as within Rican and Latino Studies (PRLS). No matter how much choice you have, PRLS is an interdisciplinary study and doing research on topics in this discipline will invariably take your research into other areas such as politics, economics, sociology, literature, culture and many other areas. Below are general and specific tips for finding a topic when doing research in PRLS.

Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
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Use Gale Virtual Reference Library to help you find a topic. Begin by typing a broad topic such as "latin america" in the search box. The results screen will give you a chance to start the Topic Finder. The Topic Finder pops up a web of connected topics and subtopics. Click and choose a topic that interests you.

General Guides for Finding a Topic

How To Develop a Good Research Topic - Kansas State Libraries

Opposing Viewpoints (Gale in Context) This link opens in a new window
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Covers social issues such as Gun Control, Genetic Engineering, Censorship, Endangered Species, and Terrorism. Brings together viewpoint articles, overviews, statistics, biographies of social activists, court cases, profiles of government agencies and special interest groups, newspaper and magazine articles. Links to more than 1,800 web sites.

Purdue Online Writing Lab - Choosing a Topic
Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) describes situations when you will be expected to come up with your own topic and include helpful ways to find a topic that appeals to you.
University of Michigan, Flint - How to Select a Research Topic
Outlines helpful steps from choosing a topic through developing your thesis statement.
MIT Libraries - Selecting a Research Topic: Overview
In addition to advice on how to select a topic, also includes ideas on how and when to broaden a topic, narrow a topic and refine a topic.

Finding a Topic in PRLS

Latin America & Caribbean - BBC News
Reporting on current events topics in Latin America. Use a recent article to spur your own further research on a country, a custom, a particular group of people or the historical underpinnings of a situation. Type a country name into the site search box and discover events from the recent past that may have evolved over time.
Latin America in 2019: Stories to Watch - Aljazeera
Discover a news story from not too long ago and find out what you can to update the story.

CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
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Although the focus is through the United States, browsing through the provided topics and subtopics may spark ideas related to PRLS. Some major topics will relate directly such as International Relations. Within this topic, see "Regional Political Affairs: Latin America and the Caribbean" specifically for many focused topics. Log in required.

Latino USA
Explore topics on the podcast website covering politics, music, arts and culture, health, and business.
Issues & Topics
Take a look at some of the major issues and topics highlighted in this guide.

Radio Ambulate
Radio Ambulante is a narrative podcast that tells uniquely Latin American stories in Spanish. Spanish and English transcripts are available. Recent stories have ranged from farmers in Mexico organizing against a local Volkwagon plant that was using anti-hail cannons to stop the rain, and a Brazilian girl who breaks through the gender barriers in soccer in her native country. Download the Lupa mobile app, which uses Radio Ambulante stories and advanced tech features to help Spanish learners kickstart their understanding.

The Progressive: A Voice for Peace, Social Justice and the Common Good
Scan through articles on a number of topics as seen from the perspective of Puerto Rico.Use the search box on the site to find articles on other countries.
UNIDOS US issues
Issues include Civil Rights and Criminal Justice, Economy, Education, Health, Immigration, Voting and Youth.

Library &
Academic IT

Library & Academic IT

Puerto Rican and Latino Studies: Finding a Topic

Finding a Topic

General Guides for Finding a Topic

Finding a Topic in PRLS