It is important to keep a log of the sources used in a research paper to avoid , which is the use of someone else's work as though it is your own.

It is important to keep a log of the sources used in a research paper to avoid plagiarism, which is the use of someone else's work as though it is your own. Here are the steps to do so:

1. Identify Your Sources: While conducting your research, make sure to note down all the sources from where you gather information. This could be books, articles, websites, interviews, etc.

2. Record Necessary Information: For each source, record necessary bibliographic information. This usually includes the author's name, title of the work, publisher, date of publication, page numbers, URLs, date of access (for online sources), etc.

3. Organize Your Sources: Organize your sources in a way that is easy for you to manage. You can do this alphabetically, by source type, or by the order in which they appear in your paper.

4. Cite While You Write: As you write your paper, make sure to include in-text citations whenever you paraphrase, summarize, or directly quote from a source.

5. Create a Bibliography/Works Cited Page: At the end of your paper, include a bibliography or works cited page that lists all the sources you used in your paper. The format of this page will depend on the citation style you are using (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.).

6. Check Your Work: Finally, review your paper to make sure you have properly cited all your sources to avoid plagiarism. You can use plagiarism detection software to help with this.

By following these steps, you can effectively keep a log of your sources and avoid plagiarism.