Extensions

Reference retrieval can be even easier if you use of one these extensions:

Chrome extension
Firefox toolbar
Safari extension
AutoHotKey Script (Win)
AppleScript (Mac)
Website widget
OpenSearch plugin

Chrome

This extension adds a button that opens a mini-search window.

Safari

Obsolete

This adds a toolbar to your browser as well as adds a right-click menu option for reference resolving.

Development of this extension ceased in mid-2012 when Apple decided not to publish Safari 6.0 for Windows. Stable work is not guaranteed.

This program will resolve any selected text as a reference after you click Win+C. Tested on Windows XP. The archive contains an .EXE file that can be added to your startup list as well as an editable AutoHotKey file (requires AutoHotKey software).

AppleScript (Mac)

Current version by Prof. Brian Myers (Ohio Northern University)
Original script by Chris Swain from Macs in Chemistry

This extension adds the ability to quickly resolve references on Macs using a keystroke combination. To download, click the image below. For source code and explations, see Chris Swain's original post.

Website widget

This is customizable HTML code that adds a tiny Resolver widget on your webpage. Please read the included readme.txt

OpenSearch

Firefox users can set up Reference Resolver as the default search engine (used both in the search field and the address bar). To do that, go to the main Resolver page and click the small triangle near the search field, as shown below. You can always switch back to your original search engine from that menu.

OpenSearch for Reference Resolver