A method of implementing image-based retrieval of a cited reference in a written work (104, 1100) comprising: programmatically comparing, by a computer system (300, 410, 510-512, 612, 710, 802, 1004), a unique alphanumeric identifier (102, 1102, 1206) extracted from an image taken of a portion of a written work (104, 1100) to stored identifiers in one or more authority databases (162, 718, 1402) in response to a request received from a portable computing device (200, 210, 420-422, 622, 1200, 1350) having a display, at least one processor (204, 302), a battery, and an image capture device, the image being captured by the image capture device; executing code to retrieve, from the one or more authority databases (162, 718, 1402), cited reference data in response to a favorably comparison of the unique alphanumeric identifier (102, 1102, 1206) to at least one of the stored identifiers associated with a reference stored in the one or more authority databases (162, 718, 1402), comprising searching multiple authority databases (162, 718, 1402) in a specific order based on a pattern found in the unique alphanumeric identifier (102, 1102, 1206); providing the cited reference data from the computer system (300, 410, 510-512, 612, 710, 802, 1004) to the portable computing device (200, 210, 420-422, 622, 1200, 1350) for output on the display of the portable computing device (200, 210, 420-422, 622, 1200, 1350); and rendering an interface (1300, 1400) on the display and automatically populating at least one or more data entry/search fields (1302-1306, 1402) based on the extracted unique alphanumeric identifier (102, 1102, 1206) included in the captured image to allow a user of a portable computing device to submit a broader search. programmatically comparing, by a computer system (300, 410, 510-512, 612, 710, 802, 1004), a unique alphanumeric identifier (102, 1102, 1206) extracted from an image taken of a portion of a written work (104, 1100) to stored identifiers in one or more authority databases (162, 718, 1402) in response to a request received from a portable computing device (200, 210, 420-422, 622, 1200, 1350) having a display, at least one processor (204, 302), a battery, and an image capture device, the image being captured by the image capture device; executing code to retrieve, from the one or more authority databases (162, 718, 1402), cited reference data in response to a favorably comparison of the unique alphanumeric identifier (102, 1102, 1206) to at least one of the stored identifiers associated with a reference stored in the one or more authority databases (162, 718, 1402), comprising searching multiple authority databases (162, 718, 1402) in a specific order based on a pattern found in the unique alphanumeric identifier (102, 1102, 1206); providing the cited reference data from the computer system (300, 410, 510-512, 612, 710, 802, 1004) to the portable computing device (200, 210, 420-422, 622, 1200, 1350) for output on the display of the portable computing device (200, 210, 420-422, 622, 1200, 1350); and rendering an interface (1300, 1400) on the display and automatically populating at least one or more data entry/search fields (1302-1306, 1402) based on the extracted unique alphanumeric identifier (102, 1102, 1206) included in the captured image to allow a user of a portable computing device to submit a broader search.