Introduction
This subject guide highlights some key discipline resources to get you started with study and research.
- Refer to the New Students Library Guide for everything you need to know about Library services and resources.
- Build your researching, reading and writing skills with the Research Essentials Library Guide.
- Streamline your access to online resources with the Library's quick access tools.
Encyclopedias
Encyclopedias and handbooks relevant to Spanish Studies:
Contemporary Spain by ISBN: 9780340958742Publication Date: 2008-08-29Studying Spanish? Spending a year-out in Spain? Or maybe going to work there? Then you'll need this handbook of contemporary Spain and the Spanish language. Revised and expanded, and packed with essential information on politics, economy and institutions, it covers the basics that are taken for granted by most Spaniards. This new edition includes recent events such as the 2004 Madrid bombings and the subsequent election of a socialist government, ETA's 2006 ceasefire and its later revocation, and the country's recent economic success. Each chapter also contains a Spanish/English glossary giving guidance on the use of specialist terms in context. This handbook is invaluable for all those with a wish to learn more about Spain, its language and its people.
The Geography of Spain by ISBN: 9783030189075Publication Date: [2020]Comprehensive reference to the regional geography of Spain, taking into account emergent issues such as biodiversity, climate change and nationalism. It appeals to scientists as well as to students and instructors and all fields of geography, regional, environmental and cultural studies, and business related disciplines. Covers a whole range of topics from the physical to the human geography of Spain and provides detailed insights into all 17 autonomous communities. Includes dozens of GIS maps and hundreds of photographs and images including remote sensing imagery.
Language resources
Below are some dictionaries and grammar works to get you started. For further resources, also check the following subject headings in the Library catalogue:
Tip: sort by date to get the latest publications first.
Dictionaries:
Oxford Dictionaries. Spanish (electronic)
Oxford Dictionaries is an extensive, integrated, smart-linked one-stop English language resource. The Library has access to the Unabridged Spanish / English bilingual dictionary, and the Spanish monolingual dictionary.
Dictionary of Spoken Spanish by ISBN: 9780486119663Publication Date: 2013-03-27Prepared by U. S. linguists, this dictionary uses idioms, phrases and sentences as basic units -- not single words. English-Spanish and Spanish-English sections contain modern equivalents for over 18,000 sentences.
Grammar and workbooks:
¡Exacto!ISBN: 9780340984499Publication Date: 2009-01-30¿Exacto! is a student-friendly Spanish grammar aimed at intermediate-level learners and idea both for use in the classroom and as an invaluable reference for self-study. Tables and charts allow the learner to navigate easily and to view explanations, examples of usage any exceptions to the rule at one glance. Authentic quotations from Spanish and Latin American media and literature illustrate grammar in context while varied, graded practice exercises with answer keys enable learners to review their progress. The authors, all experienced teachers from the Open University, are adept at conveying complex ideas through clear explanations and examples, and at writing exercises that truly promote and consolidate learning. This makes ¿Exacto! ideal for learners with little knowledge through to advanced level.
Access Spanish by ISBN: 9781351105828Publication Date: 2019-12-16Access Spanish: A First Language Course provides a thorough grounding in all the skills required to understand, speak, read and write contemporary Spanish from scratch. This fully revised edition consists of 10 units, each of which includes Language Focus panels explaining the structures covered and Descubre el mundo hispano boxes providing cultural insight into the Spanish-speaking world. Learning Tips and Ready to Move On checklists help students to achieve a sense of autonomy, while the accompanying website gives direct access to additional listening, reading and speaking activities, plus teacher support and guidance. Updated audio tracks for this edition are also available online at www.routledge.com/9781138476684. Access Spanish is ideal for adult learners and students at level A1-A2 of the CEFR, and Novice Low on the ACTFL proficiency scales.
Books
To find books on a particular subject, do a keyword search in the Library Catalogue. Alternatively you can search by title, author, etc.
You can also find books on similar topics through the subject headings in item records. Click on these headings to find related subjects and titles.
Looking for a book we don't have or is not on our shelves?
Inter-Library Loans
University of Melbourne staff and students can request resources through the Library’s Inter-Library Loans service. For more information visit the ILL web page, or you can access the request forms.
A CAVAL card allows you to borrow from other universities and TAFEs. Visit the CAVAL website to find out how to sign up for a CAVAL card.
You can then use the Trove website to see which library has the book you want.
Databases and journals
Spanish studies and language-specific databases:
For more focused results try searching in one of these subject-specific databases.
- Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de CervantesThe Miguel de Cervantes Virtual Library is an initiative of Universidad de Alicante and Banco Santander. It promotes the study and dissemination of Spanish and Hispano-American culture.
- Latin American Women WritersSearchable collection of prose, poetry, and drama composed by women writing in Mexico, Central America, and South America. Includes Latin American feminists and revolutionaries essays, who address the universal concerns of women in every age and the distinctive issues of their struggles in the region. New content is uploaded on a biweekly basis.
- Latino LiteratureBrings together poetry, fiction, and drama written in English and Spanish by Chicano, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Dominican, and other Latin authors working in the United States. Includes never before published material. Researchers will also find numerous Chicano folk tales and audio files of selected poems and plays
- Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts : LLBA (Proquest)This database abstracts and indexes the international literature in linguistics and related disciplines in the language sciences. The database covers all aspects of the study of language including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics. Documents indexed include journal articles, book reviews, books, book chapters, dissertations and working papers.
- Linguistics Database (Proquest)This database includes full-text journals and other sources in linguistics, including many titles indexed in Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts (LLBA). It covers all aspects of the study of language including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics.
- MLA International Bibliography (EBSCOhost)Produced by the Modern Language Association the International Bibliography is the definitive index for the study of language, literature, linguistics, rhetoric and composition, folklore and film, covering scholarly publications from the early 20th century to the present. It includes citations to content published in journals, books, series, translations, scholarly editions, websites and dissertations. The database also includes the Directory of Periodicals and the Thesaurus.
Google Académico
Core Arts and Humanities databases
The databases below are multidisciplinary so you can expect lots of results from different subject areas.
- Discovery (EBSCO)Discovery is a major library tool. Discovery combines the information from the library catalogue, the digital repository and many databases into a single database. However, for a comprehensive search it is recommended that you also search individual databases
- Google Scholar(With University of Melbourne authentication) Google Scholar provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature. From one place, you can search across many disciplines and sources: peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, abstracts and articles, from academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories, universities and other scholarly organizations.
- JSTORJSTOR is a digital library of thousands of academic journals, books, and primary sources from a wide range academic publishers and university presses. Titles span across disciplines, including core areas such as business & economics, social sciences, education, history, language & literature and science. Current journals are linked and cross-searchable with archival journals and ebooks on JSTOR, helping patrons discover, use, and build upon a constantly expanding range of academic content.
- Scopus (Elsevier)
Scopus is an abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature: scientific journals, books and conference proceedings. Delivering a comprehensive overview of the world's research output in the fields of science, technology, medicine, social sciences, and arts and humanities, Scopus features smart tools to track, analyze and visualize research.
- Web of Science
Web of Science Core Collection provides quick, powerful access to the world's leading citation databases. Authoritative, multidisciplinary content covers over 12,000 of the highest impact journals worldwide, including Open Access journals and over 150,000 conference proceedings. You'll find current and retrospective coverage in the sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities, with coverage to 1900.
- ProQuest Ebook CentralEbook Central provides access to thousands of e-books from trusted publishers in all academic subject areas.
Research methods
Many disciplines rely on research methods to guide the process of conducting primary research.
To find methods for your discipline, do a keyword search in the Library Catalogue and add your discipline, e.g. (Spain OR Spanish) AND "research method*".
To get started, try some of the resources below:
- SAGE Research MethodsSAGE Research Methods is a research methods tool which links SAGE’s renowned book, journal and reference content with truly advanced search and discovery tools. Researchers can explore methods concepts to help them design research projects, understand particular methods or identify a new method, conduct their research, and write up their findings. SAGE Research Methods Cases is a collection of case studies of real social research that faculty can use in their teaching. Cases are original, specially commissioned, and designed to help students understand often abstract methodological concepts by introducing them to case studies of real research projects.
Websites
You can find relevant information and resources for your research on the websites of professional organisations and bodies, institutes, NGOs, government departments, etc.
This guide gives a few suggestions to get you started and to give you an idea what to look for. It is by no means comprehensive. If you are a coursework student, check your LMS to see if your lecturer has provided website recommendations.
Tip: if you want to limit your Google search results to organisational, governmental, or educational websites, use Google's advanced search option to limit the site or domains to .org, .gov, .edu.
Some website suggestions to get you started:
- Biblioteca Nacional De Espana (National Library of Spain)Spain's Biblioteca Nacional receives and stores copies of all the books published in Spain. It also holds an extremely valuable collection of incunabula, manuscripts, illustrations, drawings, photographs, audio recordings, musical scores, etc.
All you need to view these holdings is a reader's or researcher's card. The Exhibition Rooms and the Library Museum, where various exhibitions and cultural activities are held, are open to all. - Latin American Open Archives PortalThe Latin American Open Archives Portal is a project of the Latin Americanist Research Resources Project - LARRP, in collaboration with the Latin American Network Information Center - LANIC, to improve access to social sciences grey literature produced in Latin America. The portal provides access to working documents, pre-prints, research papers, statistical documents, and other difficult-to-access materials from the "deep Web."
- Project GutenbergThe Spanish page of Project Gutenberg, offers free access to spanish e-books. Browse to them or search using keyword Spain or Spanish
News
Theses
Statistics
TV and streaming media
Television databases
- TVNews (Informit)TVNews indexes Australian television news, current affairs and selected documentaries from the free-to-air networks with links to the digitised video content in a compressed format. All individual stories from a particular broadcast are indexed with a detailed synopsis. TVNews is updated daily, with stories appearing on an evening news broadcast generally being available for access the next morning. Key titles include: Australian Story, Catalyst, Current Affair, Dateline, Foreign Correspondent, Four Corners, Insiders, Insight, Landline, Lateline, Meet the Press, Q and A, Today Tonight, World News Australia, and many more. Coverage commences with September 2007 and is updated daily.
- EduTV (Informit)EduTV is a Video Streaming service of over 50,000+ broadcast programs from free-to-air and pay TV channels in Australia. Coverage commences with 2006 and includes content across a wide range of learning areas. Free to air content is recorded from the ABC, SBS, NITV, 9, 7, 10, etc. channels. EduTV also includes several programs broadcast on Pay TV such as The History Channel, National Geographic, BBC Knowledge and Discovery channels.
Streaming media
- Kanopy (Kanopy)The Kanopy Streaming Service is the leading supplier of streamed videos to global academic institutions. The service utilises sophisticated platform and delivery technology to offer a new world of online engagement that empowers University of Melbourne Library to stream on demand video at optimal quality to their registered staff and students.
Explore the catalogue of over 20,000 videos from the world’s most prominent filmmakers and production houses. Specially curated collections cover a wide range educational disciplines including literacy, mathematics, history and issues in society. Kanopy also offers a hosting service allowing for DVDs to be uploaded and streamed online provided digital rights is obtained. Kanopy offers a large range of Australian content and videos can be searched using the library catalogue. - Alexander Street VideoAlexander Street Press offers video, audio and text-based resources covering an extensive range of subjects. This site allows users to cross-search the content purchased by the University of Melbourne Library. It features a single, fully integrated platform, offering access to thousands of full-length streaming video titles and audio recordings. Almost every video in the collection is fully transcribed in addition to being indexed for subjects, people, places, release date, language, publisher, and video type. Users can also select to view a single subject collection by using the dropdown menu at the top of the homepage.
Referencing and citing
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