Web search – Try searching variations on information you have (author’s last name; keywords from title; alternate spellings of author’s last name).
Look for author’s CV of published works or someone else’s citation to the source.
Record as much information as you can, even if Bluebook citation does not call for it, because it may be helpful in locating the material, e.g., publisher and ISBN (books).
Look for a PDF copy of the original source document online. Institutional authors (government & non-profit organizations) often post publications online. Some professors include links to PDFs of their articles on their faculty web page.
Westlaw & Lexis – Useful if you do not have an exact article citation and you were unable to find it using Google.
Search using field restrictors with whatever reliable information you have.
Documents are not PDF and, generally, are not acceptable for cite-checking. If you are on a tight deadline, you may choose to cite check content to the Westlaw or Lexis version while you wait for the print or PDF version to arrive to verify pin cites.
