Let's say you find a great article published in 1990 on depression. Using the Social Science Citation Index you can locate all the publications since 1990 that have cited the orginal article. Link from the Connections option on the library's home page. These bibliographies have been compiled by experts in the field. To begin a research project by locating one reference at a time is wasteful when a good bibliography is already available.
Books usually have bibliographies.
Journal articles are also an excellent course of ready-made bibliographies. Taking advantage of published bibliographies allows more time for searching recent literature for new information on the topic. In addition to the periodical literature, handbooks and manuals can be most useful to the student. These secondary sources are excellent means for reviewing the issues and research in a particular area. However, the student is cautioned that handbooks are quickly dated.