Exploring broad topics in recent Latin American Studies scholarship is a good way to start thinking about potential topics for your essay, research paper, or project. As you explore some of the broad topics in recent scholarship, consider:
- What are the expectations around the essay, paper, or project? Are there specific geographic or temporal requirements for the assignment?
- What interests you most about some of the broad topics? What are some of the ways that they connect with your interests inside and outside of the classroom?
For the next steps of identifying and narrowing a specific topic and finding sources, start to notice:
- How do scholars describe their topics? Do you notice key terms that repeat or that might be useful for a broader search?
- Are there specific countries or regions that are more or less represented in scholarship on a particular topic?
- Do you notice overlap between some of the broad topics? How might you combine some of the topics to narrow or expand your own research focus?