Plagiarism Tutorial at Duke University

Learn and carefully employ the common scholarly procedures described in the Scholarly Procedures Table.
Take good notes as you do your research. Working from poor notes greatly increases your risk of plagiarism.
To be sure that a paraphrased comment or summary is in your own words, follow these guidelines from the Purdue University On-line Writing Lab.2

Reread the original passage until you understand its full meaning.
Set the original aside, and write your paraphrase on a note card.
Jot down a few words below your paraphrase to remind you later how you envision using this material. At the top of the note card, write a key word or phrase to indicate the subject of your paraphrase.
Check your rendition with the original to make sure that your version accurately expresses all the essential information in a new form.
Use quotation marks to identify any unique term or phraseology you have borrowed exactly from the source.
Record the source (including the page) on your note card so that you can credit it easily if you decide to incorporate the material into your paper.

Manage your time carefully. Start researching/writing well before the project is due and learn to work on your assignments regularly. It takes a lot of time to research a paper and to use scholarly procedures correctly. Most cases of intentional plagiarism result from procrastination and desperation as a deadline approaches. The Academic Resource Center can assist you in time management.
Learn to recognize and deal with the "warning signs" that suggest you are in danger of committing intentional plagiarism.
If you need help, there are many resources available to you. Choose the one(s) that best fit your needs.
If for any reason you are unable to make a deadline, ask the instructor for an extension.

Plagiarism Tutorial