If you discover a book that is not available in the Library, and would be useful for your assignment, dissertation or research, ask the Library to purchase it. We rely on our students and staff to help build up diverse and relevant collections across the social sciences, so please put the details of the book on the book suggestion form 

The majority of books are now available in ebook format and can usually be acquired quickly. Books can also be purchased in print format if required.

Welcome to the  Area Studies subject guide.

The University of Essex has had teaching & research interests in various parts of the world over the years, most notably Russia & E. Europe, Latin America, the United States, and of course Europe and the UK. The Library collections similarly reflect these area specialisms over time.

The pages listed here contain a limited selection of general resources relating to an area, chiefly portals, digitised content, and bibliographic databases.  Some regions, for example Latin America, have a very strong tradition of open access publishing & digitisation initiatives. In relation to decolonising, the resources listed here are excellent alternatives to mainstream Western databases & e-resources.

For resources on a specific topic and area see the relevant subject guides, which contain detailed lists of resources. 

For PhD dissertations see lists of the many national portals which offer digitised theses

Print and online resources are listed in the Library search
Search by geographic area and keyword(s) to find publications and resources, e.g. mexico statistics

If you have any questions or need any help finding suitable literature or data please do get in touch with me using the email link below.