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Researching can be a tedious task, but it is important to do if you want your work to be credible. It is always good to practice on your weak points and conducting researching while providing references is a skill I need to brush up on. Taking this communications class has been a crash course and I am grateful for the experience gained.

For my species profile I have selected the American Mink. Not knowing a lot about this animal I am going to have to conduct thorough research! The first step to conducting my research is selecting sources. We learned in class that sources should be run through and pass the CRAAP Test. CRAAP is an abbreviation that stands for; Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose.

After browsing the internet and library for several hours, I finalized my selection with five sources; two books, two websites and a YouTube video by a guy that calls himself “The Mink Man” (Carter, 2017).It was by running all the sources I found through the CRAAP Test that allowed these five to emerge as the best.  

The following is an example of a reference list:

Alaska Department of Fish and Game (2018). Species Profile. Retrieved from          http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=americanmink.main

Allen, A.W. (1986). Habitat and Sustainability Index Models: Mink. Fish Wildl. Serv. Biol. Rep.82(10.127)

Carter, J. (2017, May 03). What is a Mink. Retrieved from       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQB-htbQgsE

Elbroch, M., & Rinehart, K. (2011). Behavior of North American mammals. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

National Geographic. (Nov. 29, 2013). Secret Life of Predators. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZdAeXDlnQ4&t=626s