Set up citation chaining as a documented method by keeping a chaining log that records each seed paper, every backward and forward link you follow, the source used to find that link, and a keep-or-drop decision with a reason. The Cochrane Handbook treats searching reference lists and other sources as part of a planned search strategy and stresses documenting searches and managing records, so the log is the record that makes your chaining reproducible and defensible in a methods note.
Build the log before you click
Create a table with one row per linked work and these fields:
- Seed paper: the paper you started from, with a stable identifier.
- Direction: backward (works the seed cites) or forward (works that cite the seed).
- Linked work: title and identifier of the work found.
- Source used: where the link came from, such as a cited-by list, a reference list, or an API citation endpoint.
- Decision: kept or dropped.
- Reason: the specific criterion that drove the decision, such as topical relevance, study design, or population match.
Run the chain in order
- Fix your seed set. Choose the papers you will chain from and record why each is a seed. Expected result: a short, stable starting list you can rerun later.
- Pull backward links. Open each seed's reference list and log every candidate with the source noted. Expected result: a candidate list of earlier foundational work.
- Pull forward links. Use cited-by links to find later work that cites each seed. Google Scholar documents cited-by links, and the Semantic Scholar Academic Graph API provides citation data for papers. Expected result: a candidate list of later work building on the seed.
- Apply your keep-or-drop criteria to each candidate. Record the reason in the log at the moment of the decision. Expected result: a filtered set with an auditable trail.
- Repeat from kept papers if you need another round. Log the new seed and its links the same way. Expected result: a chain you can trace end to end.
Make it rerunnable and defensible
Record the source for every link so a reader can see whether a work came from a reference list, a cited-by list, or an API. Cochrane's guidance on documenting searches and managing records supports treating the log as part of your search documentation. In a methods note, describe your seeds, the directions you chained, the sources you used, and your keep-or-drop criteria; the log supplies the evidence for each step. Google Scholar also documents alerts and library links, which can help you keep a chain current, but the log remains the record of what you actually followed.