The list of works cited by an author gives you a picture of the thinking and research up to the time the article was published. It takes you back in time, telling you what sources, and theories have influenced the author's work. This may also help you identify key authors in a field. Looking at the reference list of sources cited by an author is called "bibliographic mining," "cited reference searching," or "backward citation searching."
The sources from Thao's reference list
As you read and article, note citations of interest as you read, and scan the article reference list for authors and articles that interest you. You may search for specific articles and authors using a database or try Research@UWW
Click here for a brief demonstration of citation searching using Research@UWW