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World History

This guide provides quick access to the best resources at WU for conducting research related to history of Europe, South and Central America, Asia and general World History Topics.

Cited Reference Searching

What is cited reference searching?

Cited references are the articles, books or other materials listed in a bibliography or as works cited in a particular publication. Because citation databases index each reference, it is possible to search these cited references. One can follow a particular cited reference, or cited author, forward in time to find more current articles that have also cited that author or work.

Why use cited reference searching?

  • To locate current research based on earlier research
  • To find out how often and where a publication is being cited
  • To find out who is citing a particular paper
  • To find out how a particular research topic is being used to support other research
  • To track the history of a researcher or a research idea
  • To determine how well your own published research is cited for promotion/tenure considerations

How do I find resources that allow for cited reference searching?

Go to A-Z Database List, select Indexed from the All Database Types dropdown, see example .

Scholarly vs. Non-Scholarly Sources

  Scholarly
(Refereed, Peer-Reviewed) Journal Articles		 Non-Scholarly
(Popular) Journal Articles
Definition

Scholarly articles are "peer-reviewed" by other experts in the field. Are also sometimes called "refereed articles."

 Non-scholarly articles are meant to inform or entertain readers rather than provide in-depth analysis.
Content Content of articles usually reports on original research or experimentation. Content of articles often reports on other research or events rather than presenting original research.
Bibliography Articles usually list references in footnotes or endnotes. Articles are seldom footnoted and the source of information is seldom given.
Illustrations Illustrations, if any, are usually graphs and charts that support the subject content. Often are illustrated with glossy or color photographs.
Author(s) Articles are written by experts in the field. Authors are usually on the staff of the magazine or are freelance writers. Author's name is often not supplied
Length/Depth Articles are generally long and contain in-depth coverage of the topic. Articles are often short and intended to provide an overview of a topic rather than an in-depth analysis.
Advertising Contain few if any advertisements. Usually contain many advertisements.
Publisher Frequently, articles are published by a scholarly professional organization (e.g. American Chemical Society, American Psychological Association). Publishers are marketing to the general public and usually make their publications available in stores and newsstands.
Language Authors write in the language of their discipline. Readers are assumed to have some knowledge of the field. Articles are directed towards the general public and written in non-technical language.