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Backward citation searching involves looking at the citations listed in a research paper to find earlier works that were cited by the authors. In other words, it's the process of tracing the origins of the research by examining the sources the paper relied upon.

Forward citation searching involves looking at how many and which later works have cited a particular paper. In other words, it is the process of tracing how a paper has been used or referenced by later research. This helps you find newer papers that have built upon or discussed the original work.

For more information on backwards and forwards citation searching, see the Backward and Forward Reference Searching (scroll down) section of the Guide to Science Information Resources.