What Should I Know to Avoid Plagiarism in a U.S. Context?

U.S. education puts a high value on "critical analysis": we interrogate sources, make connections among them, and assert a stance. It is thus essential that the reader can trace the original source to see whether our “analysis” is warranted or our interpretation accurate.
Although another author’s language may be quite eloquent, be careful not to use a large number of quotes from the same sources even if it seems that “the author says it better than I could.” It is common to paraphrase or summarize another author’s ideas (with a proper citation) in academic writing unless the wording itself matters to your argument or analysis, or the quote encapsulates much of the author’s thinking. The key here is not to avoid quoting (a completely acceptable and encouraged practice) but to choose your quotes carefully.
Keep a writing log as you do research in which you can summarize arguments, keep track of your own ideas, make connections among other sources, and ask questions. Such logs help you focus on how your own ideas differ from or extend your source material.
Be sure to follow proper documentation format for all sources you use and keep a citation log to track the publication information on a source, which includes a citation, clear notes about what you have quoted, paraphrased, and summarized and where such information specifically appears in the source.
Review a writing handbook’s information on how to quote, paraphrase, and summarize. If you are ever unsure, check with your professor, TA, or visit the University Writing Center in the Learning Commons.