Tapping into the scholarly conversation through the reference list
As you saw in the Anatomy of a Scholarly Article, most academic sources include a References section citing the previous scholarship mentioned in the text. The Reference list demonstrates how scholarship is a conversation. An author's work responds to and builds on the work of other scholars, and the References section acknowledges how previous scholarly work has shaped the author's own. It also allows readers (us) to track down the work/voices of other scholars in the conversation.
Please look at the video below for an example of how to track a reference to its source.