Professional and Distance Learning Online Community

Supporting part‑time and distance learning postgraduate researchers (PGRs) is an important part of our work in the Doctoral College. Within the UK, around 23% of all PGRs are undertaking their research degree part-time; at the University of Portsmouth, almost 59% of our PGR community are part-time, and 10% are registered as distance learners (HESA, 2025). To support the growing number of part-time and distance learning (DL) PGRs, PaDLOC, the Professional and Distance Learning Online Community, was established in October 2022.

PaDLOC was created to enable PGRs to join a weekly online session in the evening (6-8pm UK time) where they can undertake development activities within a supportive community. Now in its fourth year, the programme has expanded to include development workshops, writing retreats and drop-ins. Popular sessions include ‘Critical Reading and Writing’ and ‘Planning and Writing your Thesis’, as well as our ‘Creating and Using Professional Networks’ session facilitated by Professor Anne Murphy, Professor of History and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education). We have also hosted the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation, Professor Vikas Kumar. Vikas met with over 30 PGRs to talk about their experiences and answer questions. The most recent addition to the PaDLOC programme has been the PGR AI Forum, which invites PGRs to discuss their experiences and use of AI within research.

Regular PaDLOC sessions include Connect and Progress Collaborative Work Sessions. Inspired by the popular Shut Up & Write! format, these two hour working sessions offer an opportunity for PGRs to work on anything they want within a supportive environment. We also offer monthly Research Culture Drop-Ins. These informal drop-in sessions enable PGRs to meet and chat with members from across the University PGR community and ask any questions about their research degree, the University, or postgraduate life in general. Facilitated by members of the Doctoral College, these drop-ins are an interesting mix of practical tips and interesting research stories shared by members of the research community. At a recent drop-in, PGRs shared experiences of their archival research, including the fascinating records they had been uncovering and strategies they were using to help them keep on track with their research.

Whatever the reason for engagement, PaDLOC has been designed to offer flexible support and access for our diverse community of PGRs. Attendance at PaDLOC sessions (shown in the graph below) has grown substantially over the past four years, almost tripling from 341 attendees over 36 sessions in the 2022/23 academic year to 999 attendees across 40 sessions in the 2025/26 academic year. Feedback provided through the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) suggests that PaDLOC helps PGRs to “feel supported in all areas of our research” (PhD, Humanities and Social Sciences) and offers “amazing support for PhD students abroad” (PhD, Creative and Cultural Industries) and is “great as a part time student” (PhD, Technology).

Since 2024, many of the PaDLOC sessions have been open to all PGRs, regardless of their mode of study, as the Doctoral College recognises that research degrees, even those that are full-time campus-based, are undertaken and experienced differently (Burford et al., 2025). Offering access to a variety of support, development and community activities enables PGRs to make a choice about how and when they engage with these opportunities. Feedback shared in 2025 by a PhD researcher from Business and Law highlights the complexity of juggling a research degree with a multitude of other responsibilities:

“[Staff] running the sessions are so understanding of our circumstances because the reality of doing a PhD at this phase of life is that the children do occasionally appear in my office or I'm dialling into the meeting with a biscuit and a coffee in hand having missed dinner, and this is always seen as a sign of our commitment to attending rather than a lack of dedication” (quoted in Van Laar & Cripps, 2025).

The main aim of PaDLOC is to ensure that all PGRs at the University of Portsmouth, no matter their mode of study, have access to development, community and research culture activities, and that these activities offer moments for connection and support. Research has found that PGRs want time to engage socially during development activities (Douglas, 2023), and many of our PaDLOC workshops incorporate discussion and breakout room activities. A blog post by the Research Culture & Researcher Development Team at the University of Glasgow highlights the benefits of feeling part of a supportive research community:

“Feeling part of a supportive researcher community enhances the doctoral experience, reduces non-completion, and mitigates against burnout, amongst other clear benefits – it is increasingly considered an essential part of the professional development of researchers” (Eager et al., 2023).

The Doctoral College, alongside colleagues from across the University who give their time voluntarily, recognises the positive impact that PaDLOC continues to have for our PGRs. Undertaking a research degree is complex, with many intersecting factors shaping PGR experiences. PaDLOC does not seek to offer a single solution to supporting such a diverse community, but instead provides one of a range of flexible opportunities for development, support and community. The PaDLOC programme and the community it supports reflects our ongoing commitment to accessible and inclusive opportunities for all PGRs, and will continue to support meaningful moments of connection alongside development.