Some databases will allow you to access a version of the reference list for an article with links to check other databases for the full text.  This will bring you backwards in time as it will bring you to works the author/s consulted when writing the article. This list is called 1) cited references or references.

Some databases will give you a list of other articles/authors that have cited an article with links to check other databases for the full text.  This list will bring you forwards in time as it will show you other works that were published after the article was written.  This list is called 2) times cited or cited by.

Look at the references/ works cited page at the end of an article or book chapter to find resources that the author used to write that article or book.

If there is a link to Google Scholar, CrossRef, etc. click on that link to access the full text.  If you are working from a print list of references or a list that is online but not linked up, use the following instructions to find the resource from a citation.

Finding a Resource from a Citation

Books

Citations for books will generally list the place of publication and publisher distinguishing them from other types of resources.    

To find a book, try an advanced search in One Search using the title of the book or a title search in WorldCat.

EXAMPLE:               

Hinsley, C.M., Jr. ( 1981). Savages and scientists: The Smithsonian Institution and the development of American anthropology, 1846-1910. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press.

ADVANCED SEARCH IN ONE SEARCH:

Articles

Citations for articles will generally list the year, volume, issue, and page numbers.

To find the full text of an article, start at the library homepage, click on the Google Scholar tab and copy and paste the citation information into the search box.  You can also try a basic search in One Search using the author's last name and a couple of words from the article title.

EXAMPLE:  

Shields, S. A., & Bhatia, S. (2009). Darwin on race, gender, and culture. American Psychologist, 64(2), 111-119. doi:10.1037/a0013502