Skip to Main Content

Research Guidance for Curriculum & Instruction Graduate Programs: 9. Who is Citing Whom?

Do you need more sources?

Don't go back to the databases, see who is citing who!

Reference Lists

Looking at the reference lists of articles you like will help you build on existing knowledge:

  • A reference list clearly shows where information for the article was obtained, allowing readers to assess the validity of the research and explore further if needed.  

  • A reference list will provide relevant prior research, researchers demonstrate their awareness of the current state of knowledge in their field.  

  • A reference list supports the article's argument and provides evidence for the claims made in a research paper, strengthening the argument presented.  

  • A reference list will Properly cite sources, acknowledging the contributions of other researchers and respects their intellectual property rights.  

Cited by...

Yes, reference lists are great, but every reference list is about citing older materials!

What about newer citations? 

That's when the "Cited by" feature in many databases, including Google Scholar, can truly help researchers: