The references at the end of an article show us what publications informed the author's work. They substantiate facts, and they demonstrate what work the author learned from, built upon, or refuted. The references look back in time to what the author considered at the time of publication.
Unlike examining the references at the end of an article, however, a cited reference search lets you move forward in time to see how an article was used after it was published.

- Were the conclusions affirmed or refuted?
- Did another author use the findings/data in an interesting way?
- What improvements or modifications have been introduced?