In the thick of it: A candid look at the lived experience of online PhDs with publications or creative works

Topic for Discussion: How can universities better support online PhD candidates completing higher degrees by publication or creative works?
Context/Background: The online PhD by publication or creative works is increasingly popular due to its potential to enhance academic and professional credentials (Mason et al., 2022; O’Keefe, 2022). However, limited research explores the contemporaneous experiences of remote candidates, who often face challenges such as publication pressures, supervisory dynamics, and balancing competing commitments. Understanding these realities is essential for developing support structures that address the distinctive needs of online doctoral students.
Description: This roundtable highlights a co-operative inquiry with five online PhD students and two supervisors, all serving as co-inquirers and co-authors. Owing to the low-risk nature of the project and collaborative decision-making on privacy, formal ethics approval was deemed unnecessary. The study, which has been accepted for publication, involved iterative discussions that revealed themes of motivation, emotional support, publication demands, and supervisor–student relationships. By examining these insights and sharing firsthand experiences, the session offers a forum for participants to reflect on strategies, lessons learned, and innovative approaches to shaping successful doctoral pathways.
Intended Outcome and Contribution to Scholarship/Practice: Participants will collaboratively identify ways to strengthen supervisory relationships, enhance institutional policies, and foster inclusive, flexible research environments for online PhD students. Insights generated will inform evidence-based solutions and enrich scholarship on how best to support candidates pursuing higher degrees by publication or creative works.
Engagement: Attendees will engage in reflective prompts and interactive discussion, exchanging perspectives on shared challenges and generating practical recommendations. By contributing diverse viewpoints and experiences, participants will forge new connections, refine best practices, and help shape more robust, student-centred structures for online doctoral education.