Cracking the Code
Provost Anupma Prakash, Communication Chair Amy May, Term Instructor Nike Jacob (on screen), and Assistant Professor Tori McDermott in the Student Success Center after their grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony, Wednesday, Sep. 18, 2024.
The Ӱ College of Liberal Arts proudly announces that Assistant Professor Victoria McDermott of the Department of Communication has been named a recipient of the 2025 People’s Endowment. This award will support her initiative to provide graduate students with access to qualitative coding software, a critical tool for social science research.
Dr. McDermott’s project focuses on teaching graduate students how to use Dedoose, a qualitative and mixed-methods research software designed to help researchers analyze and organize data efficiently. “I was talking with a graduate student one day who was really happy with our program offerings but asked if we could provide more access to software that might make them more competitive on the job market,” McDermott shared. Reflecting on her own experience, she recognized that Ӱ did not offer institutional access to qualitative coding software, a resource commonly available at R1 institutions. When she learned about the People’s Endowment, she saw an opportunity to bridge this gap.
Dedoose provides powerful tools for analyzing large datasets, increasing transparency and rigor in research, and facilitating collaboration among research teams. “I reached out to a few different software companies, and Dedoose was able to not only provide 10 seats for two years, allowing me to have different students use the seats every semester for maximum exposure, they also included a yearly webinar, that I thought could be valuable for the entire Ӱ Troth Yeddha’ community,” McDermott explained.
The first of these webinars, an introduction to Dedoose, will be held on March 20, from 1-2 p.m. The virtual session will cover key features of the software, including terminology, home screen navigation, data management, collaboration tools, and coding techniques. Students and faculty from anthropology, psychology, communication, and other disciplines that rely on qualitative research are encouraged to attend.
McDermott’s initiative aligns with Ӱ’s strategic goals, including the push toward R1 research status. “Providing students with opportunities to engage in innovative research is vital,” she emphasized. “Experience with this software will not only help modernize the student experience but will also help students complete innovative and rigorous research to position Ӱ as an innovator in qualitative scholarship.”
The People’s Endowment Award at Ӱ funds projects that enhance the university’s academic environment and benefit the broader community. This year, McDermott joins other CLA recipients, including Jaunelle Celaire, Yue Sun, and Sarah McConnell (Music), Jericho Williams and Joe Holt (English), and Kevin Michael Carroll (Art, with faculty mentor Jamie Smith).
With this award, McDermott hopes to demonstrate the value of qualitative coding software for Ӱ researchers. “I look forward to this trial period, and I hope at the end, I can either get more funding to extend it or that the university decides to enter into a long-term contract with a qualitative coding software.”
The Ӱ Department of Communication is dedicated to advancing knowledge in human interaction through teaching, research, and community engagement. Offering programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels, the department equips students with the skills necessary for success in a wide range of fields, including media, public relations, organizational communication, and intercultural communication. Faculty are actively involved in research that contributes to the understanding and practice of effective communication in diverse contexts.