The survey asked higher and secondary education instructors to rank the frequency and problematic nature of ten distinct types of plagiarism. The frame of reference was defined by the Turnitin Plagiarism Spectrum, which uses digital terminology to identify the types of plagiarism and assigns a severity level for each form based on the degree of student intent.

According to instructors, blatant plagiarism - submitting another's writing word for word as one's own - is the most prevalent and troublesome type of plagiarism seen in the classroom.
Another of the most frequent types of plagiarism noted by instructors is the mixing and matching of cited and plagiarized materials in students' writing.

The respondents said that paraphrasing from multiple sources to make content fit together seamlessly without attribution is among the least problematic for them - even though this type of plagiarism is high in severity and is encountered fairly frequently.

Educators are challenged to deal with more blatant forms of plagiarism where student intent to plagiarize is clear. "Nearly every school has an academic integrity policy, yet instructors tell us that blatant, intentional plagiarism is still frequently encountered", says Chris Harrick, vice president of marketing at Turnitin. "This study helps educators identify the nuances of the various forms of plagiarism and gives them some insights to effectively address the issue with their students."