Citation Trace



Citation Trace

One of the most powerful ways to locate useful information is by finding one solid source and then tracking down the books and articles it cites. Since scholars try to point their readers to the most pertinent sources, citation tracing can often lead to sources that are more “on target” than searching a database that provides as many references as possible, regardless of their quality. Specialized encyclopedias are particularly good at listing the most significant books and articles on a topic.

Start with [an article in a specialized reference work related to your course – we could locate relevant articles in advance that have substantial bibliographies]. Look at the references in its list of cited works and see if any are available in our library. You will need to take different steps, depending on what kind of publication it is.

• If the reference is to a book, check the book’s title in the library catalog using the “title begins with” option.

• If the reference is to an article in a journal, check the title of the journal using the Journals List tab. This lists current online and print journal subscriptions. If it is print, it will be shelved alphabetically by title of the journal on the lower level.

• If the reference is to an article in a book, check the title of the book in the library catalog (not the title of the article).

• If you aren’t sure what kind of source the reference is, consult with a librarian.

Gather together at least three of the sources. Create citations for them in [your choice of] format. For each source, write a two or three sentence summary. You may do this by skimming the introduction and table of contents of a book or by reading the abstract or introductory paragraphs of an article.

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