The primary way to avoid plagiarism is to cite or list the sources you used in preparing your project. Citing sources is the way you tell your audience whose works you used. It has the side benefit of providing your audience with a bibliography of relevant items on that topic.
There are two aspects to citing sources.
The format of your footnotes and bibliography is generally determined by your instructor, supervisor, professional association, publisher, or whoever has ultimate authority over your project.
Footnote and bibliography formats are defined in style manuals. Style manuals are guidebooks that tell you how written information is to be formatted. There are a substantial number of style manuals because each discipline or profession has its own preferences and requirements for the way information must be formatted.
Be sure that you know which style is required before you complete your project. Always ask your instructor, publisher, or other person with authority over your project which style you need to follow. Then use the recommended style manual for help in citing your sources correctly.
No matter what else you do - always cite your sources.
The following web sites contain the most commonly used style manuals.
Citation and Style Manuals
This page lists links to the most important citation style guides that are online full-text.
Virginia Tech, Online Writing Lab
Online as well as by-appointment help for students writing papers
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Memorial Library, Internet Citation Guides
This is a substantial list of online style guides. The list is organized by style.
Uncle Sam - Brief Guide to Citing Government Publications
Columbia Guide to Online Style, Columbia University Press
How to cite electronic, print and microfiche congressional publications.
Online Writing Lab, Purdue University
contains full-text advice on planning and writing term papers, including help with using commas, writing resumes, formats (such as MLA or APA) for citing sources, non-sexist language, etc.
