NDSU Student Placed Second in Competition

North Dakota State University doctoral student Paul Agada earned honors for his study on X's Community Notes.

Updated on Oct. 2, 2026 in Internet

Textured dark leather academic journals on a polished oak table, illuminated by warm, low-angle afternoon sunlight in a quiet library. — North Dakota State University doctoral student Paul Agada was named the first runner-up in the 2026 Westphal Student Paper Competition for his misinformation research. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Paul Agada, a communication doctoral student at North Dakota State University, placed as the first runner-up in the 2026 Westphal Student Paper Competition. The competition was organized by the Iowa Communication Association.

Why it matters

The research is timely as it addresses growing concerns regarding the rapid spread of misinformation on social media platforms. By studying user perceptions, the work highlights the role of collaborative context tools in shaping online behavior.

The study utilized a specific analytical framework to evaluate the credibility and influence of the Community Notes feature on X. It specifically examined how users perceive the accuracy of context added by peers versus traditional moderation.

The players

Paul Agada

He is a doctoral student in the communication department at North Dakota State University.

North Dakota State University

It is a public research university located in Fargo that supports doctoral-level studies in communication.

Iowa Communication Association

This professional organization convenes the annual Westphal Student Paper Competition to promote scholarly research.

The details

Agada’s winning paper provided an in-depth analysis of user perceptions regarding the Community Notes feature, which allows users to append context to posts. The study explored whether this crowdsourced information effectively mitigates the spread of misinformation and impacts general online behavior.

The Westphal Student Paper Competition was held in 2026.

The Tech Race

The study follows the scholarly tradition of communication research fostered by the Iowa Communication Association. This work bridges the gap between academic theory and the practical challenges of moderating global social media platforms.

For users of social media, this research clarifies how features like Community Notes can change how we interpret the information on our feeds. It suggests that users should be increasingly aware of how context provided by other people influences their trust in specific posts.

The takeaway

The research serves as a reminder that users play an active role in curbing misinformation by engaging with platform context tools. Readers can benefit from critically evaluating Community Notes rather than accepting them as objective truth.