Brisbane Boys' College Library: Year 9: Tectonic Activity in New Zealand

Check the quality of your websites using these criteria (adapted from QUT Library):
Currency: Timeliness of the information When was the information published, posted or last updated? Is the information current for your topic and field of study? How recent does it have to be? Can older sources work just as well?
Relevance: Importance of the information for your needs Is the information appropriate for a senior secondary course? Is this an adequately in-depth examination or a quick summary of the topic? Who's the intended audience? Is it the general public, a student, a researcher or industry? Is the level of information too basic or too advanced for your needs?
Authority: Source of the information Is the author/authoring body (individual person, or institution, or organisation) established and reputable? Are their qualifications, credentials, expertise, experience, educational background and previous work (if any) relevant and do they add credibility to the source? Has the piece been published by a well-known and respected publisher or organisation? Do references to other sources support the writing ie is a Bibliography or Reference List provided?
Accuracy: Reliability and correctness of the information Where does the information come from, and is it supported by evidence? Does it have a Reference List or Bibliography so you can easily find and verify the sources used? Are there any spelling, grammar, or other typographical errors?
Purpose: Reason the information exists What is the purpose of the information? Why was it written? Does the point of view appear objective, unbiased and impartial? Is the viewpoint of the author's affiliation/ sponsors reflected in the message or content? Does the author acknowledge alternative versions of the issues or facts?

Plate tectonics - General websites

Lumen Learning: The Theory of Plate Tectonics | Geology

Faultline: Theory of Plate Tectonics | Exploratorium

Live Science: What is Plate Tectonics? [sic]

The Conversation: Plate tectonics: new findings fill out the 50-year-old theory that explains Earth’s landmasses

Plate Tectonics - An uncorrected proof copy of Ch 5 in an Oxford University Press Textbook

Useful Databases

MyBib Referencing Generator - APA 7

MyBib is an online referencing generator to help you with in text references and your List of References.

NOTE:

Sign up for an account so that it will store the references for your assignment. Add it to your bookmark bar to find it quickly.
Install the Chrome extension to make your referencing even faster.
Make sure everything in your Reference List has a corresponding In-Text citation in the body of your essay.

MyBib - 'How to' Guide

How to Reference an Image in Your Essay

Figure 1

A cross section of the Earth showing convection currents

Note: This image indicates the various ways that convection currents travel through the Earth. From "Plate Tectonics Map - Plate Boundary Map", by H. M. King, 2022, (https://geology.com/plate-tectonics.html)

How to Reference an Image (Table or Figure eg diagram, graph, picture, photo, chart)

ONESearch Database Explorer

The ENTIRE collection of resources provided by the BBC Library can be searched on ONE single, powerful search platform, which retrieves print books, eBooks, database articles and websites. Click HERE for assistance.

Advanced Web Searching Tips

1. Use 'Ctrl F' (Control + Find) to search for particular terms easily in a long document, whether from a website or a database article.

2. Use a Boolean command - put double inverted commas around phrases to limit and improve your results eg "energy drinks cardiovascular problems children".

3. Use a Google domain command eg site:edu OR site:gov to limit results to a CERTAIN DOMAIN such as education or government eg biodiesel site:edu

4. Use a Google command to limit results to the MOST RECENT: After you get your results, choose the Google Menu Bar, and choose 'Tools'. Then on the far left, at the drop-down menu next to 'Any Time', you can choose 'Within the last year' (or less, if you prefer), but generally, you can choose 'Custom Range' at the bottom, as often the last 3 years would be sufficient for a recent search.