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Research Guides

LibrarySearch Tips

A guide to the University of Toronto Libraries' LibrarySearch platform

Follow citation trails

A citation trail is one way to describe a search that:

  • Examines the bibliography, references or works cited section of a specific article to identify relevant sources published previously. This is sometimes called Backwards Searching.
  • Identifies any sources that have cited or referenced a specific article since that article's publication. This is sometimes called Forwards Searching. 

Within LibrarySearch, you can follow a source's citation trail by taking the following steps. 

Step 1. Open the more detailed article record by clicking on the title.

A brief article record highlighting the title: Adapting to the Effects of Climate Change on Inuit Health.

Step 2. Select "Citations" from the menu on the left.

Detailed article record using an arrow to highlight the Citations menu option.

Step 3. Click "Citing This" to find relevant sources published previously or "Cited in This" for relevant sources published since. In the following image the number 1 indicates the location of the "Citing This" feature and the number 2 highlights the "Cited in this" feature. 

Detailed article record showing the location of the citing this and cited by this features.

One trail leads to sources that cite the work. The other trail lists the references cited in the work.