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Four Theses on Fake News

Fake news undermines free speech culture by impairing our ability to develop and express our thoughts. To fix the problem, w e need to police intent rather than content.

Was Twitter right to ban former President Trump for spreading lies about election fraud? Should Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene have been stripped of her committee roles? Did the Parler app deserve to be shut down for providing a platform to echo all those lies? And what should we do about Facebook, the Death Star of fake news?

We are struggling to answer these questions. A big reason why is that we still do not have a clear understanding of what fake news is, why it is bad, and how we can fix it. Here are four theses that might be of some help:

1.) Fake News is not Free Speech

Fake news requires the intent to deceive others about some current event or issue. It is speech produced by a person or organization who does not believe what the speech conveys, and yet they intend to convince others of its truth. This is why not all false news is fake news. People may accidentally say untrue or misleading things, but they are not thereby generating fake news.

What, then, is wrong with fake news? The problem is not just that a few liars are ruining social media feeds. The deeper problem is that fake news undermines our free speech culture. That may initially seem flat out false: after all, fake news is an exercise of free speech, not an abridgment of it. But that is not the case. To see why, we need to appreciate the moral reasons for protecting freedom of speech.

Freedom of speech gives us the ability to think and speak freely. As UCLA Professor Seana Shiffrin argues, we are morally justified in protecting the freedom of speech because it is necessary for us to live flourishing human lives. Developing and expressing our thoughts is an essential part of living well, and freedom of speech creates the environment in which that is possible. Freedom of speech opens the so-called marketplace of ideas where we come to understand the world and our place in it. Without free speech culture, our lives would be truly impoverished.

Fake news undermines our free speech culture because it impairs our ability to develop and express our thoughts. It does so by polluting public discourse with speech that is deliberately deceptive. In such an environment, sincere speech is not only harder to come by, but also harder to trust. It is more difficult for us to believe and to be believed. And, as Hannah Arendt points out, this imperils our capacity to think: “a people that no longer can believe anything cannot make up its mind. It is deprived not only of its capacity to act but also of its capacity to think and to judge.”

2.) Fake is Worse Than False

Fake news is likely worse than misinformation in two respects. First, the fake news uttered from some soapbox will often reverberate through the echo chambers until it comes out as something no longer just said, but believed. A lie from the Rose Garden becomes gospel at the dinner table. Second, and more importantly, fake news has a much greater corroding effect on free speech culture. Americans worry not so much that the media are accidentally wrong, but that they are willfully biased. According to a recent poll by Gallup and the Knight Foundation,  “Americans perceive inaccurate news to be intentional – either because the reporter is misrepresenting the facts (52%) or making them up entirely (28%).” While every society can tolerate some degree of insincerity and deception, in America the well of trust has become almost unpotable.

3.) Police Intent, not Content

How, then, do we fix the problem of fake news? We need to police intent rather than content. We do that by authorizing agencies and institutions to regulate and disincentivize deceptive information masquerading as news. Whether those agencies are governmental or corporate is an open question. But, contrary to thinking by folks like Mark Zuckerberg , those agencies should not also monitor the truth of news content. Zuckerberg saw the obvious difficulty in doing so : “I believe we must proceed very carefully though. Identifying the ‘truth’ is complicated.” This is correct, but misses the point. In order to combat fake news, Facebook does not need to become the “arbiter of truth.” Fake news is fake because of its intent, not content. So in order to regulate fake news, we need to delete bot and sockpuppet accounts, not build algorithms that detect false information.

On this score Facebook could improve. In a recent SEC filing , Facebook estimates that up to 5% of its monthly active users are false accounts. That means that as many as 140 million monthly users are using Facebook with deliberately deceptive intent. Moreover, these phony users have been given the ability to design custom bots that automate their communications with fellow Facebook users. Facebook is handing liars a megaphone. That may be good for business, but it is bad for our free speech culture.

Of course, there will be cases of alleged fake news – on Facebook or elsewhere – in which it is difficult to determine if there was an intent to deceive. But in this respect fake news does not differ from defamation. Both depend on determining the intention of the accused, and the burden of proof (for defamation: clear and convincing evidence) is consequently high. When it comes to restricting speech, having such a high burden of proof is a very good thing. It has prevented defamation case law from sliding down a slippery slope, and we should expect the same to hold for fake news regulation. It is no accident, though, that the crackdown on fake news is now coming most aggressively through such cases. Smartmatic recently filed a defamation lawsuit against Fox Corporation, seeking $2.7B in damages allegedly caused by fake news about its products.

This is not to say that there are no grounds for regulating false content. There may be cases where misinformation poses risks so great as to warrant its being removed or otherwise censored. Just as we should not be permitted to yell “fire!” in a crowded theater, there are things we should not be allowed to post on social media because they threaten the safety and integrity of the public sphere in which free speech is possible. But in this current media environment, where fake news is a primary source for such misinformation, to regulate content is to treat the symptom, not the disease. So while regulatory agencies like Facebook’s Oversight Board may deem it necessary to moderate content, their real focus should be on intent.

4.) Cancel Trump, not Parler

If all this is right, then Twitter was probably right to cancel Trump, but Amazon wrong to cancel Parler. According to the Washington Post, while in office President Trump made 30,573 false or misleading claims . The newspaper is reluctant to call any of them “lies,” but only because intent cannot be definitively determined. Nevertheless, a reasonable case can be made that President Trump eroded free speech culture, and that his bullhorn needed to be taken away, his social media accounts shut down, his press briefings no longer aired. For Parler, the case is different. Parler itself has not spread any fake news, although it provided a platform for those who do. Should we cancel Parler for that? Probably not – at least so long as we allow the lights to stay on at Facebook.

There are two lingering worries we might have about regulating fake news and those who produce it. Neither of these worries, though, gives us a compelling reason against regulation.

For one thing, we might fear that regulating fake news invites abuse. A regulating agency might misuse its power and restrict news deemed detrimental to its own interests. This seems to be the fear motivating German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s condemnation of Twitter’s decision to ban Trump. Abuses of regulatory power are no doubt possible, but their likelihood diminishes if we keep in mind that fake news is fake not on account of its false or partisan content, but rather on account of its deceptive intent. If the agency accordingly regulates only on the basis of intent, then it will be less likely to restrict news out of self-interest or greed.

We might also worry that regulation would have an overall chilling effect on free speech. But this, too, seems unlikely. The effect of punishing liars is to encourage people to express claims they genuinely believe, even if they turn out to be wrong. Similarly, the effect of punishing fake news would be to encourage people and organizations to share news they genuinely believe. We should expect, then, that regulating fake news is more apt to stimulate than to stymie the expression of sincere speech. And that would be truly welcome news.

• Carlo DaVia

Carlo DaVia  is a Lecturer in philosophy at Fordham University, as well as an instructor at the CUNY Latin/Greek Institute.This academic year he will also serve as a fellow at the UC Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement.

• Donald Trump
• free speech
• Mark Zuckerberg
• philosophy of free speech
• Seana Shiffrin

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DISSERTATION: The Media Dependence Model: An Analysis of the Performance and Structure of U.S. and Global News

This dissertation is an attempt to make sense out of the many questions surrounding news media performance and its inadequacies. Are journalists and their related professional practices to blame for the failings of news content or is it more a function of the structure in which they operate? What is the structure of today’s news media? In the digital age, does the long documented domination of official sources over sourcing tendencies found in news coverage continue to persist in mainstream news media? Further, are the criticisms of the old, traditional media still applicable for new, global-oriented news media, including in foreign languages transmitted abroad? These questions are answered by the positing of an original model of news analysis called the media dependence model (MDM). The name was chosen to emphasize the chief failing of the U.S. news media system: its reliance on corporate funding and ownership and the unfortunate result of this structure leading to a lack of independence from Washington (the White House and key Congressional leaders) and Wall Street (Madison Avenue and the public relations industry) positioning. A main pillar of the MDM is the synthesis of two critical models of news analysis and the application of their respective strengths toward the other’s weaknesses. The synthesis is based on Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky’s propaganda model (1988, 2002, 2008) and W. Lance Bennett’s indexing model (Bennett, 1990; Bennett, Lawrence, & Livingston, 2007). Indexing has particular methodological strengths, while the propaganda model has more theoretical robustness. Both complement the other. While the scope of the synthesis is broad and substantial, and contributes much in terms of understanding news content, it still leaves important questions that this dissertation endeavors to address. The MDM answers how and why social movements garner news media attention and sympathy, while others do not. In several chapters, the tendencies of the news media to cover social movements in opposition to U.S. policy in a derisive fashion was illustrated through case studies on opposition movements based in Puerto Rico (Chapter 6) and Ecuador (Chapter 7). The MDM theorizes ownership of the news media in a manner appropriate for the age of globalization, with findings based on a substantial and thorough content analysis of important events in Fallujah, where the most substantial military operation was conducted during the occupation of Iraq (Chapter 4). This work does not leave domestic matters unaddressed or under-theorized. It does so by distinguishing between foreign and domestic news reporting and modeling domestic coverage, including a detailed case study on immigration which revealed dichotomized tendencies for the press to highlight certain unaccompanied minors over others (Chapter 8). A number of political communication scholars have argued that the ending of the Cold War has brought about an era of press independence, which avoids the dichotomized coverage tendencies that were characteristic of the previous era. Findings from a case study (Chapter 5) on massacres occurring in similar time periods in Acteal, Mexico and Racak, Yugoslavia, purposefully selected for its occurrence before the “war on terror,” but after the ending of the Cold War, strongly suggest that we are still not in an era of press ambiguity. Structure, as opposed to the norms and routines of professionalized journalism, is shown to be the leading variable in so far as impact on news content is concerned. A chapter documenting instances of “spiking,” the cutting of stories found to be too critical or incisive, as well as an assortment of other punitive editorial measures taken against journalists, all point to the influence of ownership and advertising as being more important than the particular practices of journalists when it comes to impact on news content (Chapter 9). In spite of containing “bird’s eye” conclusions and critical analysis on news media performance and its respective tendencies, this dissertation also addresses the conditions and instances in which exceptions are most likely to arise, with references to scholarly literature I have grouped and termed as “press exceptionalism.” Exceptional content characteristics were found, and duly evaluated in relation to the MDM, in nearly every case study undertaken in this work. The dissertation closes with an eye toward the future. In the midst of a volatile time for the journalism industry and U.S. news media, implications and future trends are taken into consideration. The “Fox effect” and the paradigm shift toward the journalism of assertion; the crisis in journalism and the critical juncture that the industry is currently undergoing; needed policies and reforms to rectify the poor state of press affairs are all considered in relation to the MDM.

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This study applies and evaluates the effectiveness of several critically inclined media performance models that have been termed by Robert Entman as the 'hegemonic' models: the propaganda and indexing models. The study proposes a synthesis of both these models, which serves as one of the main foundational theoretical components of the resulting media dependence model, an original and critical model of news analysis. An English-language news source and a Spanish-language news source belonging to the same company (Cable News Network (CNN) and CNN en Español) were analyzed in a sophisticated content analysis of coverage of major events in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2003 and 2004. The study concludes with the finding that ownership remains a powerful variable in news content, even when differing audiences and distinct public opinion leanings are in question. I find the fact that the United States doesn't even bother to keep an Iraqi civilian death count grotesquely disrespectful and wrong. I don't think that anything could more clearly send the message that these innocent people are viewed as expendable. The rage this engenders, of

This is a study of US-based print media coverage of the indigenous-led uprising in Ecuador which occurred in January 2000. As a result of having mobilized tens of thousands of Ecuadorans, the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador managed to peacefully force the resignation of a President who had presided over one of the worst recessions in Ecuador's modern history. Nevertheless, most US news dailies covered the affair as if it was purely a military coup and a threat to democracy, in spite of the existence of hundreds of citizen-led, participatory governing councils (called the ''People's Parliament,'' by Ecuadorans). Previous scholarship on media performance in relation to US foreign policy has proven in a variety of cases to serve as a useful analytical tool and predictive device. This article evaluates the extent that the propaganda model by Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky, as well as the indexing model by W. Lance Bennett, are instructive in the case of the news media performance of US which covered the uprising in Ecuador.

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The article shows the limitations of the 'indexing' hypothesis, an influential conceptualization of state-press relations based on the notion that the media tend to reproduce the range of debate within political elites. The hypothesis, as confirmed by an international comparative investigation of the elite press coverage of 9/11 in the US, Italy, France, and Pakistan, cannot be applied outside the American context. The analysis finds that the variation in the levels of correlation between elite press coverage and governmental discourse are explained by previously neglected variables: national interest, national journalistic culture, and editorial policy within each media organization. The article argues that more international comparative research and multidisciplinary approaches are needed in order to renew old paradigms, especially at a time when the distinction between foreign and domestic politics is disappearing.

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Understanding Misinformation: The Tale of Fake News and Fake Reviews

Type of degree.

Computer Science and Software Engineering

Misinformation has been long issues in the global communities because of the booming usage of social networks, online retail platforms and so on. The wide spreading of the massive amount of misinformation has recently become a global risk. Therefore, effective detection methods on misinformation is required to combat bad influence. In this dissertation study, we make the following three contributions by focusing on two types of misinformation detection, namely, fake news detection and fake review detection. The first contribution of this study is the fake news engagement and propagation path framework or FNEPP, in which we devise a novel fake news detection technique from a social-context perspective. The widespread fake news on social media has boosted the demand for reliable fake news detection techniques. Such dissemination of fake news can influence public opinions, allowing unscrupulous parties to control the outcomes of public events such as elections. More recently, a growing number of methods for detecting fake news have been proposed. Most of these approaches, however, have significant limitations in terms of timely detection of fake news. To facilitate early detection of fake news, we propose FNEPP - a unique framework that explicitly combines multiple social context perspectives like news contents, user engagements, user characteristics, and the news propagation path. The FNEPP framework orchestrates two collaborative modules - the engagement module and the propagation path module - as composite features. The engagement module captures news contents and user engagements, whereas the propagation path module learns global and local patterns of user characteristics and news dissemination patterns. The experimental results driven by the two real-world datasets demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed FNEPP framework. The second contribution of the dissertation lies in an emotion-aware fake review detection framework. Customers are increasingly relying on product reviews when making purchasing decisions. Fake reviews, on the other hand, obstruct the value of online reviews. Thus, automatic fake review detection is required. Previous research devoted most efforts on examining linguistic features, user behavior features, and other auxiliary features in fake review detection. Unfortunately, emotion aspects conveying in the reviews haven’t yet been well explored. After delving in the effective emotion representations mined from review text, we design and implement the emotion-aware fake review detection framework anchored on ensemble learning. The empirical study on the two real-world datasets confirms our model's performance on fake review detection. To investigate how people perceive fake and real reviews differently in terms of emotion aspects, we prepare 200 real product reviews and 200 fake reviews, and random assign 20 reviews to each participant to determine the level of authenticity, credibility, and believability based on 1 - 100 scale. The results from an LIWC-22 emotion analysis intuitively demonstrate people's perception on fake reviews from the aspect of emotions. The last contribution of the dissertation study is a two-tier text network analysis framework. As the global COVID-19 pandemic boosted the demand of online shopping, the number of online reviews increased dramatically on online shopping platforms. More often than not, customers have the tendency of referring to the product reviews before making buying decisions when products are not physically presented. Fake reviews are designed to influence buyers' purchasing decisions. Existing research devoted their efforts on designing automatic fake review detection systems; however, a text network analysis on fake reviews is missing. To close this technological gap, we construct a two-tier text network analysis framework guiding the investigation of the network-level characteristics and text characteristics of fake reviews. We conduct the extensive experiments driven by the Amazon product review dataset using Gephi. We unfold key findings on guiding the design of next-generation fake-review detection systems.

https://etd.auburn.edu//handle/10415/8328

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Inside the new world of online dissertation defenses

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Call it another MIT innovation. When PhD student Jesse Tordoff passed her dissertation defense this month, she learned about the outcome in a new way: Her professors sent a thumbs-up emoji on the Zoom screen they were all sharing.

Welcome to the new world of the online dissertation defense, one of many changes academia is making during the Covid-19 pandemic. For generations, dissertation defenses have been crowning moments for PhD candidates, something they spend years visualizing. At a defense, a student presents work and fields questions; the professors on the dissertation committee then confer privately, and render their verdict to the student.

Which, in Tordoff’s case, was delivered in good humor, via a familiar little symbol.

“That was my most 2020 moment, learning I passed my defense by Zoom emoji,” says Tordoff, a biological engineer specializing in self-assembling structures.

With the pandemic limiting activity on the MIT campus from mid-March onward, moving dissertation defenses to Zoom has been a necessary adjustment. MIT students who defended dissertations this spring say they have had a variety of reactions to the change: They appreciated that family members could suddenly watch their defenses online, and some felt more relaxed in the format. But students also felt it was more challenging to engage with their audiences on Zoom.

And, inevitably, social distancing meant students could not gather in person with advisors, friends, and family to rejoice, as per the usual MIT tradition.

“That feeling of celebration — it is not something you generate by yourself,” says André Snoeck, who in late March defended his dissertation on last-mile issues in supply chains, for MIT’s Center for Transportation and Logistics.

That moment when you learn you have passed your doctoral dissertation defense. Congratulations to @MITSloan 's Dr. Maarten Meeuwis! @MIT @MITGradStudents @MIT_alumni @MITSloanAlumni pic.twitter.com/U7wNdmBPx7 — MIT Sloan PhD (@MITSloanPhD) April 21, 2020

On Zoom, grandparents in the room

Dissertation defenses are typically quasipublic events, where an audience can attend the student’s presentation but then leaves before faculty tell a student if the defense was successful. Many MIT departments stage parties afterward.

A defense on Zoom means the circle of attendees is no longer restricted by geography — something students appreciated. 

“My mom logged on in South Africa from her retirement village and watched online,”  says Ian Ollis, from the Department of Urban Studies and Planning, who in May defended his dissertation about public perceptions of mass transit in the Boston area. “She wouldn’t have been able to do that if it was done in person.”

Julia Zhao, a Department of Chemistry PhD student, says the defense was a unique opportunity for family and friends to watch her in a professional setting.

“It was nice to see all my friends, and my family could attend too,” Zhao says, whose research focuses on polymers that have both metal and organic components. “They were going to fly in for graduation but not attend my defense, so they got to sit in on that and listen to me talk about what I’ve been doing the last five years. So that was really cool.”

Tordoff also felt that on Zoom, she could focus more easily on her remarks.

“I was less nervous than if I had been standing up there in front of a group of people,” Tordoff says. “I was sitting on my couch.” One reason for that good feeling, Tordoff adds, is that when she logged on to Zoom before the defense, the only other people already there were her grandparents, watching from England.

“I was so happy,” Tordoff says. “That never would have happened in person.”

And in Snoeck’s case, his advisors did orchestrate a virtual toast after the defense, so they could celebrate simultaneously, if not in the same room.

Congratulations Dr. Julia Zhao ( @jouleszhao )!!! Today was her defense through zoom!!! We are so proud of how you finished your PhD through a pandemic in such an impressive fashion!!! @ChemistryMIT #PhDone #AcademicChatter pic.twitter.com/En5gCtDZjQ — The ~Remote~ Jeremiah Johnson Group (@johnsonchem) May 1, 2020

Kudos from strangers

At the same time, MIT students note, being on Zoom limited their interaction with the audience, compared with the nature of an in-person talk. 

“You can’t read the room,” Ollis says, adding: “It’s different. You don’t have a complete perspective on the audience — you see squares of people’s faces, whereas if you do it live, you get a sense of who you’re talking to by seeing faces you recognize.”

The slightly mysterious nature of Ollis’ audience became apparent to him almost immediately after he wrapped up his online defense.

“There were quite a few people watching, who, well, I didn’t know who they were,” Ollis says. “I’ve been staying in the Ashdown grad dorm, and I was walking to the elevator after doing the defense, and somebody walked past who I didn’t recognize, and said, ‘Hey! Good job! I enjoyed that!’ I had no idea who the person was.”

Overall, Ollis says, “I thought it was a good experience. I got good feedback from people.” Even so, he adds, “I prefer being in a room with people.”

For his part, Snoeck, who has accepted a job with Amazon, felt his defense was somewhat “more like a series of Q&As, rather than a conversation” — simply due to the dynamics of the format, like the segmented nature of Zoom and its slight delays in audio transmission.

“It is weird to have a conversation with some lag in it,” notes Zhao, who will soon begin a job with a Boston-area startup, developing hydrophobic coatings. “But I made an effort to say, ‘If I interrupted, please continue.’ It is a little awkward.”

I am very happy, honored and thankful to announce I successfully defended my PhD at MIT last Monday! Special thanks to all mentors and colleagues for your guidance and support during the last five years. pic.twitter.com/bsn4RA2nbk — Felipe-Oviedo (@felipeoviedop) May 14, 2020

The blended defense

That said, for years now, academic faculty have sometimes been participating in dissertation defenses via Skype, Zoom, and other platforms. That typically happens when dissertation committee members are located at multiple universities, or when a professor is traveling for research or a conference. In Snoeck’s case, one of his committee members was already going to join remotely from the Netherlands anyway.

Zhao noticed a student in her department webcasting their defense last year, which seemed “a little out of the ordinary” in 2019, she recalls. But from 2020 onward, it may become standard.

“It’s kind of nice to have an extra component of people who aren’t in town but want to participate in the closing of your degree,” Zhao says. “It will definitely be more normalized, I think.”

Not all MIT PhD students defend dissertations. In MIT’s Department of Economics, the thesis consists of three papers that must be approved, and there is no formal defense, although finishing students do give fall-term presentations. Still, even for economics students, this year seems different.

“The biggest challenge has been a feeling of a lack of closure,” says Ryan Hill, a graduating MIT PhD in economics, who studies the dynamics of scientific research. “It’s been a long road.” In that vein, Hill adds, “I was really looking forward to commencement, and the doctoral hooding ceremony.” Those events will take place on May 29, online, with an in-person ceremony to be held at a later date.

To be sure, Hill is keeping matters in perspective. “In the grand scheme, it’s not bad,” says Hill, who will spend a year as a Northwestern University postdoc, and has accepted a tenure-track job at Brigham Young University.

For any new PhD, crossing that academic finish line is a huge achievement — and relief. Zhao, for instance, had to scramble to complete her lab research before MIT shuttered, and then finish writing the thesis, before the dissertation defense could occur.

“It’s been a pretty crazy two months,” Zhao reflects. “I’m just happy to be done with it.”

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How To Write A Dissertation Or Thesis

8 straightforward steps to craft an a-grade dissertation.

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) Expert Reviewed By: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | June 2020

Writing a dissertation or thesis is not a simple task. It takes time, energy and a lot of will power to get you across the finish line. It’s not easy – but it doesn’t necessarily need to be a painful process. If you understand the big-picture process of how to write a dissertation or thesis, your research journey will be a lot smoother.  

In this post, I’m going to outline the big-picture process of how to write a high-quality dissertation or thesis, without losing your mind along the way. If you’re just starting your research, this post is perfect for you. Alternatively, if you’ve already submitted your proposal, this article which covers how to structure a dissertation might be more helpful.

How To Write A Dissertation: 8 Steps

• Clearly understand what a dissertation (or thesis) is
• Find a unique and valuable research topic
• Craft a convincing research proposal
• Write up a strong introduction chapter
• Review the existing literature and compile a literature review
• Design a rigorous research strategy and undertake your own research
• Present the findings of your research
• Draw a conclusion and discuss the implications

Step 1: Understand exactly what a dissertation is

This probably sounds like a no-brainer, but all too often, students come to us for help with their research and the underlying issue is that they don’t fully understand what a dissertation (or thesis) actually is.

So, what is a dissertation?

At its simplest, a dissertation or thesis is a formal piece of research , reflecting the standard research process . But what is the standard research process, you ask? The research process involves 4 key steps:

• Ask a very specific, well-articulated question (s) (your research topic)
• See what other researchers have said about it (if they’ve already answered it)
• If they haven’t answered it adequately, undertake your own data collection and analysis in a scientifically rigorous fashion
• Answer your original question(s), based on your analysis findings

In short, the research process is simply about asking and answering questions in a systematic fashion . This probably sounds pretty obvious, but people often think they’ve done “research”, when in fact what they have done is:

• Started with a vague, poorly articulated question
• Not taken the time to see what research has already been done regarding the question
• Collected data and opinions that support their gut and undertaken a flimsy analysis
• Drawn a shaky conclusion, based on that analysis

If you want to see the perfect example of this in action, look out for the next Facebook post where someone claims they’ve done “research”… All too often, people consider reading a few blog posts to constitute research. Its no surprise then that what they end up with is an opinion piece, not research. Okay, okay – I’ll climb off my soapbox now.

The key takeaway here is that a dissertation (or thesis) is a formal piece of research, reflecting the research process. It’s not an opinion piece , nor a place to push your agenda or try to convince someone of your position. Writing a good dissertation involves asking a question and taking a systematic, rigorous approach to answering it.

If you understand this and are comfortable leaving your opinions or preconceived ideas at the door, you’re already off to a good start!

Step 2: Find a unique, valuable research topic

As we saw, the first step of the research process is to ask a specific, well-articulated question. In other words, you need to find a research topic that asks a specific question or set of questions (these are called research questions ). Sounds easy enough, right? All you’ve got to do is identify a question or two and you’ve got a winning research topic. Well, not quite…

A good dissertation or thesis topic has a few important attributes. Specifically, a solid research topic should be:

Let’s take a closer look at these:

Attribute #1: Clear

Your research topic needs to be crystal clear about what you’re planning to research, what you want to know, and within what context. There shouldn’t be any ambiguity or vagueness about what you’ll research.

Here’s an example of a clearly articulated research topic:

An analysis of consumer-based factors influencing organisational trust in British low-cost online equity brokerage firms.

As you can see in the example, its crystal clear what will be analysed (factors impacting organisational trust), amongst who (consumers) and in what context (British low-cost equity brokerage firms, based online).

Need a helping hand?

Attribute #2:   Unique

Your research should be asking a question(s) that hasn’t been asked before, or that hasn’t been asked in a specific context (for example, in a specific country or industry).

For example, sticking organisational trust topic above, it’s quite likely that organisational trust factors in the UK have been investigated before, but the context (online low-cost equity brokerages) could make this research unique. Therefore, the context makes this research original.

One caveat when using context as the basis for originality – you need to have a good reason to suspect that your findings in this context might be different from the existing research – otherwise, there’s no reason to warrant researching it.

Attribute #3: Important

Simply asking a unique or original question is not enough – the question needs to create value. In other words, successfully answering your research questions should provide some value to the field of research or the industry. You can’t research something just to satisfy your curiosity. It needs to make some form of contribution either to research or industry.

For example, researching the factors influencing consumer trust would create value by enabling businesses to tailor their operations and marketing to leverage factors that promote trust. In other words, it would have a clear benefit to industry.

So, how do you go about finding a unique and valuable research topic? We explain that in detail in this video post – How To Find A Research Topic . Yeah, we’ve got you covered 😊

Step 3: Write a convincing research proposal

Once you’ve pinned down a high-quality research topic, the next step is to convince your university to let you research it. No matter how awesome you think your topic is, it still needs to get the rubber stamp before you can move forward with your research. The research proposal is the tool you’ll use for this job.

So, what’s in a research proposal?

The main “job” of a research proposal is to convince your university, advisor or committee that your research topic is worthy of approval. But convince them of what? Well, this varies from university to university, but generally, they want to see that:

• You have a clearly articulated, unique and important topic (this might sound familiar…)
• You’ve done some initial reading of the existing literature relevant to your topic (i.e. a literature review)
• You have a provisional plan in terms of how you will collect data and analyse it (i.e. a methodology)

At the proposal stage, it’s (generally) not expected that you’ve extensively reviewed the existing literature , but you will need to show that you’ve done enough reading to identify a clear gap for original (unique) research. Similarly, they generally don’t expect that you have a rock-solid research methodology mapped out, but you should have an idea of whether you’ll be undertaking qualitative or quantitative analysis , and how you’ll collect your data (we’ll discuss this in more detail later).

Long story short – don’t stress about having every detail of your research meticulously thought out at the proposal stage – this will develop as you progress through your research. However, you do need to show that you’ve “done your homework” and that your research is worthy of approval .

So, how do you go about crafting a high-quality, convincing proposal? We cover that in detail in this video post – How To Write A Top-Class Research Proposal . We’ve also got a video walkthrough of two proposal examples here .

Step 4: Craft a strong introduction chapter

Once your proposal’s been approved, its time to get writing your actual dissertation or thesis! The good news is that if you put the time into crafting a high-quality proposal, you’ve already got a head start on your first three chapters – introduction, literature review and methodology – as you can use your proposal as the basis for these.

Handy sidenote – our free dissertation & thesis template is a great way to speed up your dissertation writing journey.

What’s the introduction chapter all about?

The purpose of the introduction chapter is to set the scene for your research (dare I say, to introduce it…) so that the reader understands what you’ll be researching and why it’s important. In other words, it covers the same ground as the research proposal in that it justifies your research topic.

What goes into the introduction chapter?

This can vary slightly between universities and degrees, but generally, the introduction chapter will include the following:

• A brief background to the study, explaining the overall area of research
• A problem statement , explaining what the problem is with the current state of research (in other words, where the knowledge gap exists)
• Your research questions – in other words, the specific questions your study will seek to answer (based on the knowledge gap)
• The significance of your study – in other words, why it’s important and how its findings will be useful in the world

As you can see, this all about explaining the “what” and the “why” of your research (as opposed to the “how”). So, your introduction chapter is basically the salesman of your study, “selling” your research to the first-time reader and (hopefully) getting them interested to read more.

How do I write the introduction chapter, you ask? We cover that in detail in this post .

Step 5: Undertake an in-depth literature review

As I mentioned earlier, you’ll need to do some initial review of the literature in Steps 2 and 3 to find your research gap and craft a convincing research proposal – but that’s just scratching the surface. Once you reach the literature review stage of your dissertation or thesis, you need to dig a lot deeper into the existing research and write up a comprehensive literature review chapter.

What’s the literature review all about?

There are two main stages in the literature review process:

Literature Review Step 1: Reading up

The first stage is for you to deep dive into the existing literature (journal articles, textbook chapters, industry reports, etc) to gain an in-depth understanding of the current state of research regarding your topic. While you don’t need to read every single article, you do need to ensure that you cover all literature that is related to your core research questions, and create a comprehensive catalogue of that literature , which you’ll use in the next step.

Reading and digesting all the relevant literature is a time consuming and intellectually demanding process. Many students underestimate just how much work goes into this step, so make sure that you allocate a good amount of time for this when planning out your research. Thankfully, there are ways to fast track the process – be sure to check out this article covering how to read journal articles quickly .

Literature Review Step 2: Writing up

Once you’ve worked through the literature and digested it all, you’ll need to write up your literature review chapter. Many students make the mistake of thinking that the literature review chapter is simply a summary of what other researchers have said. While this is partly true, a literature review is much more than just a summary. To pull off a good literature review chapter, you’ll need to achieve at least 3 things:

• You need to synthesise the existing research , not just summarise it. In other words, you need to show how different pieces of theory fit together, what’s agreed on by researchers, what’s not.
• You need to highlight a research gap that your research is going to fill. In other words, you’ve got to outline the problem so that your research topic can provide a solution.
• You need to use the existing research to inform your methodology and approach to your own research design. For example, you might use questions or Likert scales from previous studies in your your own survey design .

As you can see, a good literature review is more than just a summary of the published research. It’s the foundation on which your own research is built, so it deserves a lot of love and attention. Take the time to craft a comprehensive literature review with a suitable structure .

But, how do I actually write the literature review chapter, you ask? We cover that in detail in this video post .

Step 6: Carry out your own research

Once you’ve completed your literature review and have a sound understanding of the existing research, its time to develop your own research (finally!). You’ll design this research specifically so that you can find the answers to your unique research question.

There are two steps here – designing your research strategy and executing on it:

1 – Design your research strategy

The first step is to design your research strategy and craft a methodology chapter . I won’t get into the technicalities of the methodology chapter here, but in simple terms, this chapter is about explaining the “how” of your research. If you recall, the introduction and literature review chapters discussed the “what” and the “why”, so it makes sense that the next point to cover is the “how” –that’s what the methodology chapter is all about.

In this section, you’ll need to make firm decisions about your research design. This includes things like:

• Your research philosophy (e.g. positivism or interpretivism )
• Your overall methodology (e.g. qualitative , quantitative or mixed methods)
• Your data collection strategy (e.g. interviews , focus groups, surveys)
• Your data analysis strategy (e.g. content analysis , correlation analysis, regression)

If these words have got your head spinning, don’t worry! We’ll explain these in plain language in other posts. It’s not essential that you understand the intricacies of research design (yet!). The key takeaway here is that you’ll need to make decisions about how you’ll design your own research, and you’ll need to describe (and justify) your decisions in your methodology chapter.

2 – Execute: Collect and analyse your data

Once you’ve worked out your research design, you’ll put it into action and start collecting your data. This might mean undertaking interviews, hosting an online survey or any other data collection method. Data collection can take quite a bit of time (especially if you host in-person interviews), so be sure to factor sufficient time into your project plan for this. Oftentimes, things don’t go 100% to plan (for example, you don’t get as many survey responses as you hoped for), so bake a little extra time into your budget here.

Once you’ve collected your data, you’ll need to do some data preparation before you can sink your teeth into the analysis. For example:

• If you carry out interviews or focus groups, you’ll need to transcribe your audio data to text (i.e. a Word document).
• If you collect quantitative survey data, you’ll need to clean up your data and get it into the right format for whichever analysis software you use (for example, SPSS, R or STATA).

Once you’ve completed your data prep, you’ll undertake your analysis, using the techniques that you described in your methodology. Depending on what you find in your analysis, you might also do some additional forms of analysis that you hadn’t planned for. For example, you might see something in the data that raises new questions or that requires clarification with further analysis.

The type(s) of analysis that you’ll use depend entirely on the nature of your research and your research questions. For example:

• If your research if exploratory in nature, you’ll often use qualitative analysis techniques .
• If your research is confirmatory in nature, you’ll often use quantitative analysis techniques
• If your research involves a mix of both, you might use a mixed methods approach

Again, if these words have got your head spinning, don’t worry! We’ll explain these concepts and techniques in other posts. The key takeaway is simply that there’s no “one size fits all” for research design and methodology – it all depends on your topic, your research questions and your data. So, don’t be surprised if your study colleagues take a completely different approach to yours.

Step 7: Present your findings

Once you’ve completed your analysis, it’s time to present your findings (finally!). In a dissertation or thesis, you’ll typically present your findings in two chapters – the results chapter and the discussion chapter .

What’s the difference between the results chapter and the discussion chapter?

While these two chapters are similar, the results chapter generally just presents the processed data neatly and clearly without interpretation, while the discussion chapter explains the story the data are telling  – in other words, it provides your interpretation of the results.

For example, if you were researching the factors that influence consumer trust, you might have used a quantitative approach to identify the relationship between potential factors (e.g. perceived integrity and competence of the organisation) and consumer trust. In this case:

• Your results chapter would just present the results of the statistical tests. For example, correlation results or differences between groups. In other words, the processed numbers.
• Your discussion chapter would explain what the numbers mean in relation to your research question(s). For example, Factor 1 has a weak relationship with consumer trust, while Factor 2 has a strong relationship.

Depending on the university and degree, these two chapters (results and discussion) are sometimes merged into one , so be sure to check with your institution what their preference is. Regardless of the chapter structure, this section is about presenting the findings of your research in a clear, easy to understand fashion.

Importantly, your discussion here needs to link back to your research questions (which you outlined in the introduction or literature review chapter). In other words, it needs to answer the key questions you asked (or at least attempt to answer them).

For example, if we look at the sample research topic:

In this case, the discussion section would clearly outline which factors seem to have a noteworthy influence on organisational trust. By doing so, they are answering the overarching question and fulfilling the purpose of the research .

For more information about the results chapter , check out this post for qualitative studies and this post for quantitative studies .

Step 8: The Final Step Draw a conclusion and discuss the implications

Last but not least, you’ll need to wrap up your research with the conclusion chapter . In this chapter, you’ll bring your research full circle by highlighting the key findings of your study and explaining what the implications of these findings are.

What exactly are key findings? The key findings are those findings which directly relate to your original research questions and overall research objectives (which you discussed in your introduction chapter). The implications, on the other hand, explain what your findings mean for industry, or for research in your area.

Sticking with the consumer trust topic example, the conclusion might look something like this:

Key findings

This study set out to identify which factors influence consumer-based trust in British low-cost online equity brokerage firms. The results suggest that the following factors have a large impact on consumer trust:

While the following factors have a very limited impact on consumer trust:

Notably, within the 25-30 age groups, Factors E had a noticeably larger impact, which may be explained by…

Implications

The findings having noteworthy implications for British low-cost online equity brokers. Specifically:

The large impact of Factors X and Y implies that brokers need to consider….

The limited impact of Factor E implies that brokers need to…

As you can see, the conclusion chapter is basically explaining the “what” (what your study found) and the “so what?” (what the findings mean for the industry or research). This brings the study full circle and closes off the document.

Let’s recap – how to write a dissertation or thesis

You’re still with me? Impressive! I know that this post was a long one, but hopefully you’ve learnt a thing or two about how to write a dissertation or thesis, and are now better equipped to start your own research.

To recap, the 8 steps to writing a quality dissertation (or thesis) are as follows:

• Understand what a dissertation (or thesis) is – a research project that follows the research process.
• Find a unique (original) and important research topic
• Craft a convincing dissertation or thesis research proposal
• Write a clear, compelling introduction chapter
• Undertake a thorough review of the existing research and write up a literature review
• Undertake your own research
• Present and interpret your findings

Once you’ve wrapped up the core chapters, all that’s typically left is the abstract , reference list and appendices. As always, be sure to check with your university if they have any additional requirements in terms of structure or content.  

Psst... there’s more!

This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...

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20 Comments

thankfull >>>this is very useful

Thank you, it was really helpful

unquestionably, this amazing simplified way of teaching. Really , I couldn’t find in the literature words that fully explicit my great thanks to you. However, I could only say thanks a-lot.

Great to hear that – thanks for the feedback. Good luck writing your dissertation/thesis.

This is the most comprehensive explanation of how to write a dissertation. Many thanks for sharing it free of charge.

Very rich presentation. Thank you

Thanks Derek Jansen|GRADCOACH, I find it very useful guide to arrange my activities and proceed to research!

Thank you so much for such a marvelous teaching .I am so convinced that am going to write a comprehensive and a distinct masters dissertation

It is an amazing comprehensive explanation

This was straightforward. Thank you!

I can say that your explanations are simple and enlightening – understanding what you have done here is easy for me. Could you write more about the different types of research methods specific to the three methodologies: quan, qual and MM. I look forward to interacting with this website more in the future.

Thanks for the feedback and suggestions 🙂

Hello, your write ups is quite educative. However, l have challenges in going about my research questions which is below; *Building the enablers of organisational growth through effective governance and purposeful leadership.*

Very educating.

Just listening to the name of the dissertation makes the student nervous. As writing a top-quality dissertation is a difficult task as it is a lengthy topic, requires a lot of research and understanding and is usually around 10,000 to 15000 words. Sometimes due to studies, unbalanced workload or lack of research and writing skill students look for dissertation submission from professional writers.

Thank you 💕😊 very much. I was confused but your comprehensive explanation has cleared my doubts of ever presenting a good thesis. Thank you.

thank you so much, that was so useful

Hi. Where is the excel spread sheet ark?

could you please help me look at your thesis paper to enable me to do the portion that has to do with the specification

my topic is “the impact of domestic revenue mobilization.

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Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Thesis and Dissertation: Getting Started

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

The resources in this section are designed to provide guidance for the first steps of the thesis or dissertation writing process. They offer tools to support the planning and managing of your project, including writing out your weekly schedule, outlining your goals, and organzing the various working elements of your project.

Weekly Goals Sheet (a.k.a. Life Map) [Word Doc]

This editable handout provides a place for you to fill in available time blocks on a weekly chart that will help you visualize the amount of time you have available to write. By using this chart, you will be able to work your writing goals into your schedule and put these goals into perspective with your day-to-day plans and responsibilities each week. This handout also contains a formula to help you determine the minimum number of pages you would need to write per day in order to complete your writing on time.

Setting a Production Schedule (Word Doc)

This editable handout can help you make sense of the various steps involved in the production of your thesis or dissertation and determine how long each step might take. A large part of this process involves (1) seeking out the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding specific document formatting requirements, (2) understanding research protocol limitations, (3) making note of deadlines, and (4) understanding your personal writing habits.

Creating a Roadmap (PDF)

Part of organizing your writing involves having a clear sense of how the different working parts relate to one another. Creating a roadmap for your dissertation early on can help you determine what the final document will include and how all the pieces are connected. This resource offers guidance on several approaches to creating a roadmap, including creating lists, maps, nut-shells, visuals, and different methods for outlining. It is important to remember that you can create more than one roadmap (or more than one type of roadmap) depending on how the different approaches discussed here meet your needs.

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Ten things I wish I'd known before starting my dissertation

The sun is shining but many students won't see the daylight. Because it's that time of year again – dissertation time.

Luckily for me, my D-Day (dissertation hand-in day) has already been and gone. But I remember it well.

The 10,000-word spiral-bound paper squatted on my desk in various forms of completion was my Allied forces; the history department in-tray was my Normandy. And when Eisenhower talked about a "great crusade toward which we have striven these many months", he was bang on.

I remember first encountering the Undergraduate Dissertation Handbook, feeling my heart sink at how long the massive file took to download, and began to think about possible (but in hindsight, wildly over-ambitious) topics. Here's what I've learned since, and wish I'd known back then…

1 ) If your dissertation supervisor isn't right, change. Mine was brilliant. If you don't feel like they're giving you the right advice, request to swap to someone else – providing it's early on and your reason is valid, your department shouldn't have a problem with it. In my experience, it doesn't matter too much whether they're an expert on your topic. What counts is whether they're approachable, reliable, reassuring, give detailed feedback and don't mind the odd panicked email. They are your lifeline and your best chance of success.

2 ) If you mention working on your dissertation to family, friends or near-strangers, they will ask you what it's about, and they will be expecting a more impressive answer than you can give. So prepare for looks of confusion and disappointment. People anticipate grandeur in history dissertation topics – war, genocide, the formation of modern society. They don't think much of researching an obscure piece of 1970s disability legislation. But they're not the ones marking it.

3 ) If they ask follow-up questions, they're probably just being polite.

4 ) Do not ask friends how much work they've done. You'll end up paranoid – or they will. Either way, you don't have time for it.

5 ) There will be one day during the process when you will freak out, doubt your entire thesis and decide to start again from scratch. You might even come up with a new question and start working on it, depending on how long the breakdown lasts. You will at some point run out of steam and collapse in an exhausted, tear-stained heap. But unless there are serious flaws in your work (unlikely) and your supervisor recommends starting again (highly unlikely), don't do it. It's just panic, it'll pass.

6 ) A lot of the work you do will not make it into your dissertation. The first few days in archives, I felt like everything I was unearthing was a gem, and when I sat down to write, it seemed as if it was all gold. But a brutal editing down to the word count has left much of that early material at the wayside.

7 ) You will print like you have never printed before. If you're using a university or library printer, it will start to affect your weekly budget in a big way. If you're printing from your room, "paper jam" will come to be the most dreaded two words in the English language.

8 ) Your dissertation will interfere with whatever else you have going on – a social life, sporting commitments, societies, other essay demands. Don't even try and give up biscuits for Lent, they'll basically become their own food group when you're too busy to cook and desperate for sugar.

9 ) Your time is not your own. Even if you're super-organised, plan your time down to the last hour and don't have a single moment of deadline panic, you'll still find that thoughts of your dissertation will creep up on you when you least expect it. You'll fall asleep thinking about it, dream about it and wake up thinking about. You'll feel guilty when you're not working on it, and mired in self-doubt when you are.

10 ) Finishing it will be one of the best things you've ever done. It's worth the hard work to know you've completed what's likely to be your biggest, most important, single piece of work. Be proud of it.

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Most viewed

Dissertation Topics on Fake News

Fake news is a kind of propaganda or yellow journalism that deliberately seeks to misinform the public and spread hoaxes to damage the reputation of a person, entity or agency for political or financial gain. Fake news is distributed with the aim of increasing readership in order to please advertisers.

1) Was Fake News Responsible for Donald Trump Winning the 2016 Presidential Campaign?

Aim: It has been found that fake news shared in the run-up to the 2016 United States presidential election was heavily biased in favour of Donald Trump, the current president of that country. Hence, the aim of this research is to explore how Donald Trump used fake news during the 2016 presidential campaign and to what extent it contributed to his election victory. Key Source: Allcott, H., and Gentzkow, M., (2017), ‘Social Media and FakeNews in the 2016 Election,’ Journal of Economic Perspectives, 31 (2), pp.211-236

Related: 10 Dissertation Topics on Donald Trump with a Politics and an Economic Focus

2) an exploration of the relationship between fake news and advertising revenue.

Aim: Fake news can be used as a means of making advertising campaigns more believable. This is because it is a platform for presenting ‘alternative facts’ that tie-in to advertising campaigns. However, there has been some backlash against this practice in recent years with both Google and Facebook banning false advertising from their advertising streams. Thus, the relationship between advertising and fake news is worthy of investigation. Key Source: Turban, E., Outland, J., King, D., Lee, J.K., Liang, T.P., and Turban, D.C., (2017), Electronic Commerce 2018: A Managerial and Social Networks Perspective, 9th Ed., New York: Springer

3) An Exploration of the Dynamics of the Relationship between Fake News and Social Media

Aim: It has been observed that fake news has increased in the age of social media as it has a new platform for distribution, with social media sites being used to bolster the claims made by fake news. Significantly, it has been found that fake news has the power to influence social media either positively or negatively, something that needs further research. Key Source: Chadwick, A., (2017), The Hybrid Media System: Politics and Power, 2nd Ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press

4) Does Fake News contribute to the Rise of Islamic Extremism?

Aim: It is widely acknowledged that internet and social media channels have played an integral role in recruiting young people to Islamic extremist causes and organisations, such as ISIS. In this context it has also been found that fake news can contribute to this recruitment process and spread extremist discourses. Hence, this research will explore how fake news can be used to bolster political and religious extremism. Key Source: Alava, S., Frau-Meigs, D., and Hassan, G., (2017), Youth and Violent Extremism on Social Media: Mapping the Research, Paris: UNESCO

5) The Evolution and Development of Fake News from the Nineteenth Century to the Present Day

Aim: Fake news is not a new phenomenon. In fact, it has been used by media outlets to influence public perceptions throughout history. Fake news was first widely distributed through the print media in the nineteenth century, most notably in the case of the Great Moon Hoax of 1835 and when yellow journalism publishers goaded the United States into the Spanish-American War. Hence, this research will explore how the history of fake news has led to what we understand as fake news today. Key Source: Soll, J., (2016), ‘The Long and Brutal History of FakeNews,’ Politico Magazine, Available at: https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/12/fake-news-history-long-violent-214535 (Accessed 12 Jan 2018)

6) How does the Public Perceive Fake News?

Aim: This dissertation aims to explore the public response to fake news. It has been found that fake news has a significant influence on public opinion, especially during national elections. It is significant that it was found that the public was more likely to have viewed fake news stories about the 2016 presidential election than real ones. Thus, public policy needs to take these facts into account when cracking down on fake news in future. Key Source: Tambini, D., (2017), FakeNews: Public Policy Responses: Media Policy Brief 20, London: Media Policy Project, London School of Economics and Political Science

7) An Exploration of the Relationship between Fake News and Internet Censorship in China

Aim:During the United States 2016 presidential election the fake news generated spread to China. The Chinese government used this fake news as an excuse to increase internet censorship in China. It has also encouraged Chinese citizens to report any website they believe is reporting or spreading fake_news. While internet censorship has always taken place in China, it could be argued that fake news gives the Chinese government an excuse to carry on with and increase internet censorship. Key Source: Benney, J., (2015), ‘“The Corpses were Emotionally Stable”: Agency and Passivity on the Chinese Internet,’ in Marolt, P., and Herold, D.K., eds., China Online: Locating Society in Online Spaces, Abingdon: Routledge

8) Is Fake News Damaging to Democracy?

Aim: Because of the role of fake news in promoting the cause of certain political candidates or vilifying others by propagating false information about them it can be argued that the practices of fake news, when used for political gain, damage the fundamental principles of democracy. However, if action is taken to mitigate this threat, it could be argued that this violates the democratic principle of free speech. Thus, it can be suggested that fake_news undermines the democratic system by allowing candidates to win elections on false pretences or violating the democratic principle of free speech. Key Source: Tyler, G.R., (2018), Billionaire Democracy: The Hijacking of the American Political System, Dallas: BenBella Books Inc.

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The future of MSc nursing dissertations – a victim of its own success?

In our blog this week, Dr Nicola Roberts (@DrNRoberts) and Mr Ben Parkinson (@ParkinsonBen1) from Glasgow Caledonian University discuss the current changes affecting student research in the NHS and the future for MSc dissertations in nursing.

The Masters of Sciences degree (MSc) is becoming increasingly popular with nurses and provides a useful stepping stone into advanced nursing roles and/or Doctoral level study (e.g. PhD or Professional Doctorate). For nursing students, the most daunting and time consuming part of their MSc is often the dissertation component. Students usually do a structured literature review or undertake a small piece of research. However, the rules around student research in the NHS are changing and may affect some nursing students completing MSc dissertations.

What is a nursing dissertation? The nursing dissertation usually involves a large written piece of coursework (6-16,000 words) based on an independent study at the end of a University MSc programme. Students are supported during their dissertation by an academic supervisor to undertake research or a review. For nursing students, the MSc dissertation is an opportunity to focus on a particular area of interest and to study the topic in great detail. The MSc dissertation is a demanding assessment and can involve many months of effort and a high level of independent study. Some of the challenges faced by students include working independently, effectively working with their supervisor, having to meet deadlines, and producing high quality academic material. In addition, many students also have other commitments (e.g. employment, child care) and/or have additional support needs (e.g. dyslexia). These factors can make the MSc dissertation both demanding, but also extremely rewarding.

Student research in the NHS Nursing students often want to undertake a research study in their place of work, but all research needs to have ethical approval and students working in the NHS will have to make sure they are eligible to complete their research in the NHS. The guidance on student research in the NHS changed and the new guidance is available online via the Health Research Authority (HRA) . The HRA changes came into effect in September 2021 and affect those completing research for the main purpose of achieving an educational qualification (e.g. Degree, Masters, or Doctorate). The main changes include new eligibility criteria, which changes the type of students who can complete research in the NHS. The new guidance states undergraduate students, for example, will no longer be able to complete research involving the NHS and that Doctoral students studying Health and Social Care related topics will be able to complete research in the NHS ( full guidance ).

The guidance is slightly more confusing for MSc nursing students. Not all MSc students will be able to apply for NHS ethical approval and some types of student MSc students will not be allowed to do research in the NHS. Fortunately, nurses will be one group of students who can conduct research in the NHS, but certain rules apply, nurses need to be studying a Health and Social Care course and the University department supporting the student also needs to be active in Health and Social Care research. The HRA have produced a helpful toolkit for students or supervisors , to help them determine whether their research will be eligible to apply for NHS Research Ethics approval under the new guidance.

Alternatives to student research in the NHS Given the complexity of nursing dissertations and the challenges faced by many nursing students, it is prudent to consider the different options available when completing an MSc dissertation. Being flexible and creative will give nursing students the greatest chance of success when completing their MSc dissertation.

Dissertation options. • Research involving the NHS (check eligibility using student research toolkit ) • Non-research activity in the NHS (e.g. service evaluation, audit, a discussion with R&D may still be needed). • Research activity not involving NHS patient, staff, or resources – student participant study or using organisations or charities, social media. • Literature review (e.g. systematic review). • Write research protocol for future study. • Produce anonymous case report (consent/approval needed).

Other challenges for nursing dissertations Another challenge is the increasing numbers of students completing MSc qualifications. Each year more nurses are seeking MSc qualification, which is excellent for patient care and the nursing profession. However, increasing student numbers and the needs to complete a dissertation can create pressure on the NHS and make it difficult to provide the necessary support for growing numbers of students. With increasing numbers, nursing students can find themselves struggling to come up with an original idea and some popular topics can become over-researched. For example, recently the number of students wanting to study COVID-19 has grown rapidly.

It is also common for nursing students to focus on particular groups of people and/or recruitment pathways. For example, the growth of MSc dissertations has led to an increase in the amount of research being conducting on students, which raises concerns about whether students are being overly burdened by invitations to participate in research. The growth in the numbers of nursing students studying MSc qualifications has also put pressure on finding appropriate academic supervisors, who can support students during their studies. It is important Universities balance the increased demand for MSc study, whilst also maintaining quality for students. Innovative strategies used by Universities include flexible academic supervision, using online methods, incorporating group supervision, and also changing the format of dissertations to better reflect journal publications. It is clear that traditional dissertations may need to adapt in the near future to be fit for purpose and to support the large number of students and the changes to research ethics in the NHS.

Dr Nicola Roberts is a Senior Lecturer and Mr Ben Parkinson is a Lecturer in the Department of Nursing and Community Health (@GCUNursing) at Glasgow Caledonian University, United Kingdom (@GCUSHLS, @GCUReach). 

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Leading dei official at ucla medical school plagiarized doctoral dissertation on diversity: report, natalie j. perry, ph.d., allegedly attempted to 'mask glaring academic deficiencies'.

A leading DEI official at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), reportedly plagiarized vast portions of her 2014 doctoral dissertation about diversity, equity and inclusion programs on college campuses.

Investigative journalists Christopher F. Rufo of the Manhattan Institute and The Daily Wire's Luke Rosiak partnered to uncover that Natalie J. Perry, Ph.D. — who leads the DEI program called "Cultural North Star" at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine — appears to have lifted large paragraphs nearly verbatim from 10 other academic papers without citation, according to City Journal .

UCLA Med School has been in the news recently for promoting ideology about "Indigenous womxn," "two-spirits," and "structural racism." A guest speaker praised and two residents championed "revolutionary suicide." The DEI director, who advances "anti-racism," is Natalie Perry. pic.twitter.com/NwSNbiDoBO Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe — Christopher F. Rufo ?? (@realchrisrufo) April 22, 2024

Titled "Faculty Perceptions of Diversity at a Highly Selective Research-Intensive University," Perry's dissertation at the University of Virginia "examined institutional commitment to diversity from the perspective of organizational values," according to her UCLA biography , and remains her only published work. She received her bachelor's degree in African American and African Studies at Ohio State University, and an EdM in teaching and curriculum at Harvard University.

Many of the portions Perry dissertation, apparently copied with only minor changes, were especially long, with one passage that was nearly 1,000 words and extended for pages.

Rufo and Rosiak also observed that the parts of Perry's paper that were not plagiarized are ridden with basic grammatical errors and even misspellings, prompting them to speculate that her plagiarism was intended to "mask glaring academic deficiencies."

"The positionality of the participants informed the perspective on the origins of the commission. /in response to the needs of the varios [sic] stakeholders within the university, the commission addressed issues of diversity on the faculty, undergraduate, graduate, and university level," Perry wrote in one poorly-written paragraph.

Rufo and Rosiak also noted that Perry neglected to cite even the papers she did mention in the paper, suggesting that even the citations were plagiarized from other papers.

UCLA's medical school has mandated that students learn about colonialism and liberation, which included lessons about "Indigenous womxn," "two-spirits," and "structural racism," according to The Daily Wire .

The Washington Free Beacon reported earlier this month that during one lecture by a guest speaker who praised the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack against Israel, she urged students to pray to "mama Earth" and led chants of "Free, Free Palestine."

Neither Perry nor UCLA responded to The Christian Post's request for comment by publication.

"Throughout the paper, Perry copies and pastes large sections of text from other authors," Rufo tweeted. "When she has to rely on original work, she often lapses into serious errors and basic grammatical problems. The paper — of course — was about DEI at universities."

Throughout the paper, Perry copies and pastes large sections of text from other authors. When she has to rely on original work, she often lapses into serious errors and basic grammatical problems. The paper—of course—was about DEI at universities. pic.twitter.com/8nejFTlKP3 — Christopher F. Rufo ?? (@realchrisrufo) April 22, 2024

The revelation regarding Perry's plagiarism comes amid Rufo's ongoing reporting about plagiarism and academic misconduct at some of the nation's most prestigious universities.

In January, former Harvard University President Claudine Gay announced her resignation weeks after Rufo and the New York Post reported on 27 instances when Gay plagiarized or failed to properly cite other academics' work, which the leadership of Harvard allegedly attempted to cover up. The New York Post claimed the school had threatened them when they began looking into the allegations.

Jon Brown is a reporter for The Christian Post. Send news tips to  [email protected]

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UW–Madison alum receives Dissertation of the Year Award

UW–Madison alumna Erin Hastey, who graduated with a PhD from the School of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis in 2023, has received the Dissertation of the Year Award from the Council for the Study of Community Colleges ( CSCC ).

For over a decade, Hastey “has empowered organizational leaders to move from conflict to connected action,” notes her CSCC bio. She works as a consultant to board members and executives to develop highly effective governing boards.

Hastey’s research focuses on how board effectiveness aligns with organizational outcomes. Her dissertation, written with support from her mentor and adviser Xueli Wang, UW–Madison’s Barbara and Glenn Thompson Professor in Educational Leadership, focuses on board effectiveness in community college districts.

CSCC’s Dissertation of the Year award, issued annually, is given to recent doctoral graduates that “demonstrate excellence in scholarly inquiry, illustrate originality of thought, and include significant findings that make a substantial contribution to the extant literature on community colleges; that shed new light on how issues and challenges facing community colleges are researched, theorized, and interpreted; and/or that potentially could have an important effect on community college policy and/or practice.”

Hastey was honored during CSCC’s 65th annual conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, earlier this month.

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How discussion over Cowboys’ NFL draft approach became dissertation on offseason paralysis

Jerry and stephen jones also led an introductory session of salary cap 101..

By David Moore

7:58 PM on Apr 23, 2024 CDT

The press conference began with a question about whether or not the Cowboys need an immediate impact from the top of this draft class due to the club’s free agent attrition and the gulf that exists after its third-round pick.

It quickly devolved into a justification of the club’s offseason paralysis along with an introductory session of Salary Cap 101 thrown in for good measure.

Related: All in a financial storm: Why the Dallas Cowboys have been so inactive in free agency

Anyone who listens to these league-mandated media sessions ahead of the draft expecting clarity on what a team intends to do is delusional. What, did you think the Cowboys would come out and declare who they want to take when they are on the clock at No. 24 Thursday evening?

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That being said, there was less discussion about the players available and the club’s general approach to this draft than usual. The session took on the feel of a congressional hearing with Jerry and Stephen Jones determined to make their points to a skeptical body.

Twice in the first five minutes of a press conference that lasted for more than 53 minutes Jerry Jones spoke of not wanting to come across as defensive. In response to the idea that a lack of free agent activity and no picks early Saturday place an even greater premium on hitting on those first three picks, the Cowboys owner went out of his way to invoke the phrase that has earned him derision during a largely quiet offseason.

“The question in my mind about all of this is how do we feel about where we’ve been in this free agency?’’ Jerry Jones said. “We feel great about what we’ve been in free agency.

“All in. All in. All in. We’re all in with these young guys. We’re all in with this draft.

“We’re all in with knowing that you have to go.’’

Attrition? Please. The Cowboys’ front office argues that’s simply another word for opportunity.

“When we make these draft picks, they’re going to have great opportunities to step in here and play,’’ Stephen Jones said. “You know, you need to have that happen to complement what you already have on what we feel is a really strong roster.’’

Father and son talked about being proud of the talent on this roster. Asked what message he wanted to deliver to fans frustrated by the path this offseason has taken, Jerry Jones launched into a dissertation about the salary cap and fiscal responsibility.

“The elephant in the room is our playoff success,’’ Stephen Jones added when the patriarch was done. “We can win an offseason like we did last year and get an “A.’’ Boy, you went and got (Brandin) Cooks. You went and got (Stephon) Gilmore. You signed some veteran players and boy, you won the offseason.

“But guess what? We didn’t get it done in the playoffs. Until we have the success in the playoffs, that’s the biggest question that everybody is gonna ask. How are you gonna get over that hurdle?

“We feel like we can do it with this roster.’’

This echoes a point Jerry Jones began to make at last month’s NFL meetings. The Cowboys enjoyed three consecutive 12-5 seasons, in part, because of their willingness to use a credit card approach when it came to the cap.

After failing to advance past the divisional round in those three seasons — a drought that now extends 28 years — the Jones family has determined it’s imperative to undergo a financial course correction. The credit card has come due.

Jerry Jones spoke Tuesday about the need to embrace the fact the team is running out of cap room the way it embraced flaunting that room when the club had it. The other component here is putting aside the money needed to sign Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons to lucrative extensions.

But here’s the thing. If you’re holding back on adding to the supporting cast to make sure there’s money for the stars, why isn’t the club appear close to getting any of those deals done?

“The point is you may be working on it and not moving anything but your eyebrows,’’ Jerry Jones said. “Who in the world would think that we’re not working on it? I work on it at 2 in the morning sometimes.

“What your actual question is why don’t you have something done and negotiated and put in the drawer? We’d like to see some more leaves fall. We’d like to see some more action.’’

Mike McCarthy, sitting next to Jerry Jones during the press conference, rarely spoke. He was perfectly fine with that development.

Near the end, when the questions did turn to the draft and the Cowboys head coach had a chance to weigh in, he offered a nice segue.

“Obviously, this has been an outstanding financial conversation you all have been having,’’ he said with a grin.

The Cowboys let two starters in the offensive line walk in free agency. Jerry Jones said it was fortuitous that this draft is good and deep at that position.

The club appears poised to use a first-round pick on an offensive lineman. Left tackle would be ideal, allowing the Cowboys to leave Tyler Smith at left guard. But if the best player on the board is a guard, Smith’s ability to swing outside to tackle comes into play.

“I think the defensive tackle play in our division is as strong as I’ve ever seen,’’ McCarthy said. “And in my history in the league, if you don’t have four or five No. 1 picks in your defensive line, you’re behind the times.

“Pass rush is at a premium so (interior strength) is definitely something we put a premium on, not only who we have protecting in there but how we do it.’’

Related: 2024 NFL draft central: How to watch, what to know as Dallas Cowboys make their selections

The Cowboys have three of the top 87 picks. The club then goes 87 picks before it’s on the clock again.

Moving back in this draft to acquire more picks is a strong possibility.

“It’s very likely (we) have an opportunity to do that,’’ Jerry Jones said. “Given the right people left on the board, or the wrong people gone off the board, and the right trade.

“Obviously, we’d like to have some mid-round picks.’’

Now, about that salary cap…

Catch David Moore on Cowboys Happy Hour on The Ticket (KTCK-AM 1310 and 96.7 FM) on Tuesday night at 7 o’clock in April.

Twitter/X: @DavidMooreDMN

Find more Cowboys coverage from The Dallas Morning News here .

David Moore , Cowboys Insider . David is in his 4th decade of covering sports on the DFW scene. You know what that means. He's old.

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Death of the thesis? An update on AI and writing skills

24 April 2024 In February, Gea Dreschler and Abby Gambrel led a workshop on the VU Education Day called ‘The Death of the Thesis?’. With a big group of teachers and staff from various faculties and departments, we discussed the value of writing and asked ourselves the question of whether, in this age of AI, the thesis is still the best choice for a final assessment at the end of a programme.

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Opening statements in Trump's historic trial set to begin Monday after tense day of jury selection

Opening statements are set to begin next week in Donald Trump’s historic criminal trial after the final members of the jury were seated Friday, following a dramatic day in which two prospective jurors broke down in tears, an appeals court judge rejected Trump's request for a stay, and a man set himself on fire in front of the courthouse.

“We’re going to have opening statements on Monday morning. This trial is starting,” Judge Juan Merchan said towards the end of the day, after successfully seating the remaining five alternate jurors that were needed.

The case — the first-ever criminal trial of a former president —will be heard by a panel of 12 jurors and a total of six alternates. It's expected to last roughly six weeks.

The five alternates ultimately selected Friday include an unemployed married woman who’s into art and described herself as not political, an audio professional, a contract specialist, a clothing company executive and a construction company project manager. It took four days of jury selection to find the 18 jurors.

Around the same time the judge declared, "we have our full panel" inside the courtroom in the early afternoon, a man set himself on fire outside the courthouse. The NYPD said the man, identified as Max Azzarello of Florida, later died. He appeared to have had pamphlets describing a conspiracy involving cryptocurrency that he threw around before setting himself ablaze, police said.

Later in the afternoon, Trump's attorneys were in a state appeals court trying again to get an emergency stay of the trial. Trump attorney Cliff Robert argued his client could not get a fair trial in Manhattan, which had been Trump's longtime home before moving to Florida after he was elected president in 2016.

Steven Wu of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office countered that "what the last week has shown is that the jury selection has worked."

"We have 18 ordinary New Yorkers who are ready to serve. It would be unfair to them and the public for this to be delayed further," he argued. The judge rejected Trump's stay request a short time later.  

The jury selection process Friday was especially intense, some potential jurors breaking down in tears and others saying they were too anxious to serve.

The day began with the judge calling up the 22 remaining potential jurors from the previous pool of 96 to answer questions designed to indicate whether they could be fair and impartial about the divisive real estate mogul and presumptive Republican nominee for president.

The first of those potential jurors was dismissed after she said she didn’t think she could be fair. “I have really, really bad anxiety and people have found out where I am,” she told the judge. A short time later, two other potential jurors were dismissed after each told the judge that upon further reflection, “I don’t think I can be impartial.”

Other potential jurors included a married father who said he listens to a podcast called “Order of Man,” which is described on Apple’s website as discussions about “reclaiming what it means to be a man.” Some past guests of the podcast include people who’ve been outspoken in their support of Trump and were highly critical of the civil fraud case New York Attorney General Letitia James brought against the former president. The man, an audio specialist, was chosen as one of the alternates.

Another potential juror was a married fund manager who said he’d done “get-out-the-vote” work for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Trump’s 2016 presidential opponent. Trump and his attorney Todd Blanche passed notes back and forth while that juror was speaking. He was later dismissed after being asked about a 2020 Facebook post where he apparently called Trump “the devil and a sociopath.”

Trump appeared most interested in jurors whose answers offer ambiguity around their personal political views. When one prospective juror said they were a Fox News viewer, Trump cocked his head, then quickly conferred with his lawyer, Todd Blanche.

Another potential juror was a woman who became emotional as she disclosed she'd served two years in prison on drug-related charges, but said she could be "fair and impartial."

During a morning break, Merchan — who'd chided reporters on Thursday for disclosing too much information about potential jurors — said the woman had shared "very personal things about her life" and was "very brave." “I just wanted to encourage the press to please be kind. Please be kind to this person,” the judge said. He later dismissed her, saying she needed a certificate of release to be qualified for service going forward. On her way out, she cheerfully called out, "Good luck!"

Following that juror's departure, the DA's office began its individual questioning of the jurors. One woman, who'd disclosed that her father is lifelong friends with Trump ally turned critic Chris Christie, broke down in tears when prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked her an innocuous question about the burden of proof in the case. "I feel so nervous and anxious right now. I’m sorry," she responded, bursting out into tears. "I thought I could do this," she said, adding "I wouldn’t want someone who feels this way to judge my case." She was dismissed.

Hoffinger's questioning was followed by Trump attorney Susan Necheles, who asked a potential juror who'd started their own business how she would assess a witness's credibility. The woman then asked to speak to the judge, saying she was "getting anxiety and self-doubt” from Necheles's line of questioning. She was dismissed. 

Necheles later asked another woman — who previously said she was a victim of sexual assault — whether she would hold it against Trump that women outside this case have accused Trump of sexual assault. She said she would not have a problem setting those accusations aside but the judge ultimately excused her, saying, "It’s best to err on the side of caution."

Another man said he has some differences from Trump on his policies but thinks he's “usually awesome.” He was not chosen for the jury.

On his way into court in the morning, Trump again complained the case against him is "unfair," and that the partial gag order preventing him from lashing out at witnesses, prosecutors, court staffers and jurors is not "constitutional." "Everyone else can say whatever they want about me. They can say anything they want. They can continue to make up lies and everything else. They lie. They’re real scum. But you know what? I’m not allowed to speak," he told reporters.

Prosecutors this week asked the judge to fine Trump and hold him in contempt for social media posts that they said violate the gag order. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for Tuesday.

The m a in pa nel of 12 is made up of seven men and five women, including two lawyers, a teacher, a retired wealth manager, a product development manager, a security engineer, a software engineer, a speech therapist and a physical therapist. The foreman — the juror who essentially acts as the leader and spokesperson for the panel — is a married man who works in sales and gets his news from The New York Times, MSNBC and Fox News.

The lone alternate selected Thursday is a woman who works as an asset manager.

Trump vented about the speed of the process in a post on social media shortly after the final jurors were selected, claiming the judge is “‘railroading’ me, at breakneck speed, in order to completely satisfy his ‘friends’.”

Later in the day, Merchan held what's known as a Sandoval hearing . That's a type of hearing designed to let defendants know the scope of questions they could face from prosecutors on cross-examination so they can make informed decisions about whether to take the witness stand in their own defense.

Leaving court on Friday, Trump was asked whether he was still planning to testify and he said he was.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office disclosed in a court filing that it would like to ask Trump about several items, among them the $464 million civil judgment against him and his company for fraud , the total $88 million verdicts and liability findings for sexual abuse  and  defamation in lawsuits brought by writer E. Jean Carroll and a number of other adverse court rulings over the past few years.

Trump has denied wrongdoing in all the cases and is appealing  the fraud judgment and the Carroll verdicts.

Prosecutors said they want to be able to bring those findings up “to impeach the credibility of the defendant” if he takes the witness stand.

Discussing the findings in the fraud case, prosecutor Matthew Colangelo told the judge it was "hard to think of something that is more squarely in the wheelhouse” for the DA to ask Trump about "than a finding by a judge of persistent and repeated fraud and illegality."

Trump's attorney Emil Bove countered that prosecutors shouldn't be able to breach the topic at all because Trump's appeal is still pending. He made similar arguments over the DA's contention that they should be allowed to ask about a judge's finding that he was untruthful on the witness stand during the fraud trial and had violated a gag order in the case.

“Is it your position that because a case is being appealed or might be appealed, that therefore it can not be used?" Merchan asked the lawyer. "Not necessarily," Bove replied.

The judge said he'd issue his ruling on the dispute on Monday morning.

Trump said last week he  “absolutely” plans to testify , but he is under no obligation to do so.

Asked by Necheles at the end of the day who the DA's first witness would be, prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said they wouldn't inform Trump's team of the person's identity until Sunday, given that Trump has been criticizing some witnesses on social media despite the partial gag order in the case. “And if that should be tweeted, that’ll be the last time we provide that courtesy,” Steinglass said.

Merchan called the DA's position "understandable" and told Necheles "I will not compel them to do anything."

Trump has pleaded  not guilty  to 34 counts of falsifying business records and faces up to four years in prison if he is convicted.

Bragg alleges that Trump falsified records to hide money he was paying his former lawyer Michael Cohen to reimburse him for $130,000 he paid adult film actor Stormy Daniels  near the end of the 2016 presidential campaign. Daniels has claimed she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006. Trump has denied that he slept with Daniels, but he has acknowledged repaying Cohen.

The DA’s office also alleges that as part of a scheme to boost Trump, National Enquirer publisher American Media Inc. paid $150,000 to model and actor Karen McDougal , who appeared in Playboy magazine and claimed that she had a nine-month affair with Trump before he was elected president “in exchange for her agreement not to speak out about the alleged sexual relationship,” according to a statement of facts filed by Bragg.

Trump has also denied having a sexual relationship with McDougal.

Adam Reiss is a reporter and producer for NBC and MSNBC.

Lisa Rubin is an MSNBC legal correspondent and a former litigator.

Dareh Gregorian is a politics reporter for NBC News.

3 Biotech Stocks to Buy on the Dip: April 2024

I f you follow Warren Buffett’s advice of being greedy when others are fearful, then it probably makes sense to consider biotech stocks to buy on the dip.

Primarily, the thesis centers on the underlying necessity of the ecosystem. While humans have made incredible innovations in the digital realm, those don’t mean a whole lot if we succumb to various diseases and conditions. So, from the standpoint of social progress, the biotechnology sector is critical.

Moreover, the industry may be somewhat insulated from outside economic pressures. Nothing is immune from broad fundamentals, to be sure. However, the aforementioned importance of finding medical solutions should keep the wheels turning.

On that note, below are biotech stocks to buy on the dip.

Biohaven (BHVN)

Based in New Haven, Connecticut, Biohaven (NYSE: BHVN ) focuses on discovering, developing and commercializing therapies for immunology, neuroscience and oncology. Its product pipeline includes Troriluzole, which is undergoing Phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of neurological and neuropsychiatric illnesses. BHVN has attracted attention as one of the biotech stocks to buy on the dip because of its endorsement by Wall Street experts.

According to TipRanks, Biohaven features a unanimous strong buy rating. Further, the average price target stands at $60.14, implying over 55% upside potential. The high-side target is $66 while the least-optimistic price target is $55. That still implies 42% growth potential, making Biohaven a compelling idea.

For the current fiscal year, covering experts anticipate that Biohaven can post $10.01 million in revenue. That doesn’t seem like much until you consider that the company is a pre-revenue business. Further, for fiscal 2025, analysts are seeking revenue of $15.99 million or nearly 60% up from projected 2024 sales.

Cytokinetics (CYTK)

Hailing from South San Francisco, California, Cytokinetics (NASDAQ: CYTK ) is a late-stage biopharmaceutical firm focusing on the discovery, development and commercialization of muscle activators and inhibitors as potential treatments for debilitating diseases. One of its candidates includes omecamtiv mecarbil, a novel cardiac myosin activator that is in Phase 3 clinical trials in patients with heart failure.

Since the start of the year, CYTK stock lost almost 21% of its equity value. However, the red ink appears to be subsiding, making it one of the biotech stocks to buy on the dip. More importantly, analysts peg shares as a consensus strong buy with a $100.42 average price target. That implies over 50% upside potential. Notably, the low-side estimate calls for $77, which still represents a 15% jump from the current price.

Financially, experts don’t see much excitement for the current fiscal year. Indeed, sales are projected to fall significantly. However, fiscal 2025 is a different matter altogether, with analysts forecasting revenue of just under $145 million. That would be a gargantuan leap from 2024’s projected sales of $6.41 million.

Viking Therapeutics (VKTX)

Headquartered in San Diego, California, Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ: VKTX ) is a clinical-stage biopharma focusing on the development of novel therapies for metabolic and endocrine disorders. Per its corporate profile, Viking’s lead drug candidate is VK2809, an orally available tissue and receptor-subtype selective agonist that is in Phase 2b clinical trials to treat patients with biopsy-confirmed non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

Notably, VKTX stock is a strong performer, gaining 256% of equity value since the start of the year. However, the price has come down significantly since late February. Therefore, it’s possible that VKTX could be a candidate for biotech stocks to buy on the dip.

Another factor pushing the needle favorably is the expert endorsement. Currently, analysts rate shares a unanimous strong buy with a $113.50 average price target. That implies over 74% upside potential. Further, the $90 low-side target is still guiding for a 38% return.

To be fair, Viking is a narrative play. It presently doesn’t generate any sales. However, with analysts issuing buy ratings since May of last year, VKTX seems like smart speculation.

On the date of publication, Josh Enomoto did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article.  The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com  Publishing Guidelines .

A former senior business analyst for Sony Electronics, Josh Enomoto has helped broker major contracts with Fortune Global 500 companies. Over the past several years, he has delivered unique, critical insights for the investment markets, as well as various other industries including legal, construction management, and healthcare. Tweet him at @EnomotoMedia.

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The post 3 Biotech Stocks to Buy on the Dip: April 2024 appeared first on InvestorPlace .

Wall Street is souring on Tesla's pivot away from low-cost vehicles towards autonomous driving

• Tesla is losing the confidence of Wall Street amid reports it's pivoting from a low-cost Model 2 to robotaxis.
• Deutsche Bank just downgraded Tesla's stock and Barclays cut its price target. Both see double-digit declines over the next year.
• "We view Tesla's shift as thesis-changing, and worry the stock will need to undergo a potentially painful transition in ownership base," Deutsche Bank said.

Another day, another negative Tesla note from Wall Street.

Tesla has come under intense scrutiny from sell-side analysts after a Reuters report from earlier this month said that the EV maker was shifting away from its low-cost Model 2 vehicle to instead focus on building a fully-autonomous robotaxi.

Deutsche Bank downgrades Tesla

Deutsche Bank analyst Emmanuel Rosner is not impressed with the potential pivot, calling it "thesis-changing" for investors in a note on Thursday.

Rosner downgraded Tesla stock to "Hold" from "Buy" and cut its price target to $123 from $189, suggesting potential downside of about 19% from current levels. 

"Pushing out Model 2 will create significant earnings and FCF pressure on 2026+ estimates, and make the future of the company tied to Tesla cracking the code on full driverless autonomy, which represents a significant technological, regulatory and operational challenge," Rosner said. 

Rosner slashed his 2027 earnings per share estimate for Tesla to $2.40 from a prior estimate of $4.25, and added that there could be further downside to the company's earnings power if they completely abandon the development of a low-cost vehicle. 

"The delay of Model 2 efforts creates the risk of no new vehicle in Tesla's consumer lineup for the foreseeable future, which would put continued downward pressure on its volume and pricing for many more years, requiring downward earnings estimate revisions for 2026+," Rosner said.

Tesla stock fell 2% in early Thursday trading, and is down nearly 40% year-to-date. 

Perhaps the biggest risk to Tesla, aside from lower earnings, is the idea that a pivot to robotaxis could cause a complete recalibration of its underlying shareholder base.

"We view Tesla's shift as thesis-changing, and worry the stock will need to undergo a potentially painful transition in ownership base, with investors previously focused on Tesla's EV volume and cost advantage potentially throwing in the towel, and eventually replaced by AI/tech investors with considerably longer time horizons," Rosen said.

Barclays cuts Tesla price target

It's not just Deutsche Bank that has soured on Tesla.

Barclays slashed its Tesla price target on Wednesday by 20%, and said it expects the company's first-quarter earnings call next week to be a negative catalyst.

Calling it "one of the most widely anticipated calls ever," Barclays analyst Dan Levy said the company is facing challenging near-term fundamentals in combination with a longer-term "investment thesis pivot" as it considers moving away from the Model 2.

According to Levy, if Tesla is indeed moving away from the Model 2, that would be bad news for the stock valuation going forward, calling it a "clear net negative for the Tesla investment thesis."

"It casts significant uncertainty on the path ahead for Tesla, making success of the stock dependent on bets with seemingly binary outcomes," Levy said. "Indeed, we are hard pressed to think of any other precedent of a company of Tesla's size basing its path of success on such binary bets."

Wedbush also concerned about Model 2 pivot

Even long-time Tesla bull Dan Ives is worried about Tesla's potential pivot away from a low-cost Model 2.

In a note from last week, Ives said Tesla needs to commit to its Model 2 development plans if it wants to have any chance in reversing this year's painful stock price decline. 

"If robotaxis is viewed as the 'magic model' to replace Model 2 we would view this as a debacle negative for the Tesla story. It would be a risky gamble if Tesla moved away from the Model 2 and went straight to robotaxis," Ives said.

Ives said Wall Street's criticism of Tesla is warranted, especially given the fact that the EV maker has seen declining profit margins and its first year-over-year sales decline since 2020.

"For Musk, this is a fork in the road time to get Tesla through this turbulent period otherwise dark days could be ahead," Ives said. 

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