You can avoid plagiarism by carefully documenting all material that comes from a source, whether you are quoting or paraphrasing. Plagiarism is a serious offense, with serious academic consequences, so be careful to give proper credit when you refer to other people's ideas in your paper. As the semester progresses, your instructor will help you to become more familiar with the conventions of standard English grammar. Ask your instructor for help or see a tutor in the Learning Center if you are having difficulty understanding a particular grammar rule. Most instructors will want you to be familiar with library research, which includes the evaluation of sources and credentials, before you use the Internet to research a topic.
Internet sites vary widely in quality and reliability of information.
Since most of your academic writing will be based on professional standards, it is important that you learn to use the library to locate different kinds of information. 101 emphasizes the library research process to help prepare you for other courses.