- Voyant – Web based application for analyzing texts. Includes functions such as common word visualizations, word trends, etc.
Why Am I Using This Tool?
This tool would serve as an incredible resource for highlighting key themes in books I have added to my geographic bibliography (self-coined term for the map of MX that will include pinpoints of my suggested readings).
I hope to use this tool in my literary learning guide to illustrate how many of the books revolving around femicide center similar topics (as illustrated by their key words), from more triggering concepts like methods of death, to bureaucratic systems.
An interesting example of Voyant in action is when I input the novel Liliana’s Invincible Summer. Interestingly, Voyant helps me highlight how the femicide victim’s name is used more than the perpretrator’s name. In a time when many women are reduced to statistics or brief descriptions in police records and news sites- having books that center the victim over their perpetrator is a meaningful act of remembrance and resistance.
- Zinn Education Project – A platform that provides educational material on a variety of historical topics. Specifically, they have a category for Latine learning materials!
Why Am I Using This Tool?
This tool can help me source a variety of materials that can enrich my bibliography and learning guides. Their book recommendations can possibly lead to suggestions I can incorporate into my book map, while teaching guides suggested by the website can help me meaningfully teach literary topics or hard concepts in a way that is digestible.
What Platform Am I Using For My Website?
I’ve chosen to use ArcGIS Story Maps, mainly for its sophisticated mapping features. I have the vision of using map notes to present a ranging list of books (non-fiction and fiction alike) and situate them across a map of Mexico. I also plan to contextualize the severity of femicide cases in Mexico by presenting another country-wide map, this time with state reported data of national femicide cases. Another reason why mapping software would be incredibly useful!