Citation chaining is the process by which you use one good information source, such as an article relevant to your topic, and mine its list of References for additional useful resources. This is called backward chaining. ... You can also do forward chaining; this identifies those who have cited the article.
Citation chaining allows you to identify key authors, publications, and journals in your area of study, and understand how researchers are building on and sometimes challenging one another's work. It provides insight into the scholarly conversation surrounding your research topic